


Fighting Fate

by UltimateBethylFicList



Category: The Walking Dead (TV)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-07-26
Updated: 2018-06-04
Packaged: 2018-12-07 08:00:25
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 27
Words: 68,015
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11619339
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/UltimateBethylFicList/pseuds/UltimateBethylFicList
Summary: An amateur fighter who doesn't want it all. A broken hearted girl not looking for love. Fate has other ideas for these two. AU OOC





	1. A Chance

_ BREAKING NEWS!  Shawn Greene has recently come back on the map but not for his comeback match. No, unfortunately, that isn't in the cards for Mr. Greene. _

_ As you recall, two years ago, Shawn Greene was a household name with the chance to win a heavyweight championship. That dream was lost when he got himself into a car accident that killed his mother Annette, and took the leg of his step-father Herschel Greene _

_ That accident caused Shawn to have numerous surgeries to repair his broken back and several organs. He has learned to walk again but sadly, will never re-enter the ring to fight. _

_ The love of the sport must still course through his blood as he has recently opened up a training gym for amateur and professional fighters. This new venture is in partnership with his step-father, whom was a celebrity  in the early 1970s with his boxing skills. _

_ Based in Senoia, Georgia, they are taking these fighters away from the hustle and bustle of big cities, and allowing them to focus on their training, nutrition and mental health. Along to aid them in their journey are personal trainer and ex-military,  Sgt. Abraham Ford and certified nutritionist and medical expert, Dr. Eugene Porter. _

_ They are already seeing a steady stream of applicants wanting to train with such an elite team and there were rumors that newcomer, Zach Smith, would be their headliner; but that was deemed untrue. Especially after the explosive breakup between Zach and Greene's younger sister Beth was seen worldwide at his match last month. _

_ "She's a great girl but she and I want different things. I want a championship belt; she wants me home by 6pm every evening. That's just not going to happen,"  _

_ -(Smith spoke to reporters after she was seen slapping him in the face and leaving the arena.) _

_ Beth Greene has always been one on the sidelines of not only Smith but of her brother Shawn in all the years he was present on the circuit so there is a high likelihood that she will be involved with the gym as well. Older sister Margaret has already been listed as Manager of Operations, which will give Shawn and Herschel plenty of time to work with their athletes. _

_ With Shawn's UFC record of 17-1-0, I think it's safe to say that whoever becomes the star of this gym, will no doubt be seeing themselves in line for a championship. Shawn brings a fierceness to his training that is unbelievable to see and from the past matches I've seen of Hershel Greene, determination will also be brought. _

_ I really look forward to seeing what comes from this new endeavor. _

* * *

 

They were outside the venue, looking around at the crowd that had gathered for that night. They had heard through the amateurs that this was going to be an amazing fight, but they already knew that. They had been doing their research for the past weeks, watching his every move and all his matchups. If everything turned out like they hoped, he would be signed to the gym and they would have their headliner.

 

Shawn made sure his hood was up, after paying the admission. So far, no one had recognized him at these events but he was also trying hard to blend into the crowd. He had Abraham with him, who also was hiding under a ballcap and jacket. His red hair was a dead giveaway and he had been noticed the last time he was out. 

 

They were on a mission and they would not be accepting no for an answer. Shawn had opened the gym to applicants a month ago and they had some great people, both men and women, who were wanting to take this seriously and make a go for it. But no one had the whole package. 

 

They were wanting someone who could be the face of the business. A fighter who would give them a good reputation, who fought hard and followed the rules. Who carried himself in a positive manner, but could fight like a demon.

 

Daryl Dixon was that man.

 

He was quiet, but his brother made up for it with his energy. He ran his mouth for the two of them and he let everyone know just how powerful his brother is. He held a record of 36-0-0 in the amateur leagues, which around here was unheard of. He was older but experienced. He fought hard, never taking his eyes off his opponent. He was calculated in his moves, and he was observant to his opponent. It was almost like he could read their minds.

 

He never showed fear, never allowed his adversary to get into his head. He keeps  a calm demeanor on his face through the entire process, and never shows a weakness. No one has ever beaten him in an official match, but by the look on his back, he obviously lost a few in his younger years.

 

Shawn could relate to Daryl. They both carried scars although Shawn’s were from his accident. He had several scars from the surgeries littering his torso and back, but they were reminders of what happened and how he couldn’t take things for granted. He lost his mother that night and it took some time before he could forgive himself for causing that accident. If he had just kept his eyes on the road…..

 

He and Abraham has showed up just before the main event, which Daryl was headlining. His opponent was a giant man named Shumpert. He had at least 30lbs on Dixon which was one of the reasons why Shawn and Abraham hated the minor leagues like this. Weight classes were so different and often, too large a gap caused unfair advantage. 

 

It was something that they were trying to change locally in Georgia; getting better organization for UFC minor and amateur leagues. If people wanted to make it to the premiere leagues, or even UFC professional series, than the amount of training they would have to undertake, sometimes turned them off. The money might be good on the other side, but with a longer training schedule, it sometimes took too long for people to make the leap.

 

Daryl would need to beef up a little more and train for a few months before they even considered getting him his own match-up. Their offer wasn’t up to par of other, more established gyms, but they hoped that with their good name and reputation, he would be willing to fight for them. So far, no one else had scooped him up so they figured, they still had a chance.

 

The main event rolled around and both fighters entered the ring.  The cage doors closed and the actions starts to unfold. The official goes over the rules and the bell finally rings.  Shumpert is in southpaw stance.  Daryl is tentative.  Shrumpert blitzes in behind some lightning quick hands.  He's got him pressed into the cage right in front of Dixon’s corner where his coaches are giving encouragement to their man.  Daryl gets off the cage and stuns Shumpert.  He isn't able to follow it up though and Shumpert recovers.  

 

“Shumpert has great movement.” Abraham spoke to Shawn. “He's maintaining distance”

 

He tries to come in and Dixon is there waiting with uppercuts.  Short time left and the action picks up as Dixon lands some big shots.  The bell rings as we see Daryl launch like a bolt with a knee just missing Shumpert's head.

 

As each fighter goes into their corner, Daryl never takes his eye off his opponent. It makes Shawn smirk as he did the same thing. Never take your eyes off of them. Keep your concentration on them.

 

The second round starts with Shumpert doing a tae kwon do style side kick and the crowd launches into a chant of "Let's Go Dixon"    Shumpert is moving more, but Dixon is still controlling the center.  Dixon is cat like in his nimbleness.  He is juke'd out of the center by some creative movement on Shumpert's part.  Once on the outside of the ring he immediately blocks a high kick that follows.  He then takes back the center of the cage.  The action quickens at the end of the round again until the bell rings.

 

At this point Dixon hasn't slowed down Shumpert's pace.  He's kept him out of the center, had him moving, but not caused any damage.  Shumpert sets up a combination that ends with a kick and Dixon immediately grabs him and drags him to the mat.  The venue is chanting for Daryl again. 

 

The third round starts with a left hook that sails through empty space as Shumpert disappears out of range and Dixon is visibly critical of his attempt, the power he put behind it, and the fact that the opponent is now 5 feet to his left.  He adjusts and takes the center of the cage again.  Shumpert is in and out.  Kicks are coming more often.  They lock in a clinch and Dixon gets loose.  He's working the crowd into a frenzy with the sound of skin on skin from the impact of the inside leg kicks he's delivering.  The bell rings and the fight is over. 

 

Both camps know it'll be close and are both treating their fighter as the winner.  Daryl was being draped with his hoodie, still watching Shumpert over the roar of the crowd. 

 

“Gonna be a split decision,” Shawn interjected as they waited for the decision to be made.  The refs pulled both men to centre of the ring and the crowd kept chanting for Daryl. Finally, Daryl had his arm raised and his team went wild, getting the crowd even more psyched.

 

“The man has the love of the people,” Abraham said, looking over to Shawn. Shawn could only nod his head in agreement. The crowd did love him and that following is what will escalate him to UFC champion.

 

Once the show was officially over, and people started to get out of the venue, Abraham and Shawn made their way towards the fighter locker rooms to see if they catch a minute with Daryl and his team. He has two older men, one being his brother Merle, who also managed him. The other seemed to be a trainer and medical aid.

 

There were a grouping of people outside the locker room doors, mostly scantily clad women who were looking for a little action with a fighter. Shawn knew those women all too well and was embarrassed to say, early on in his career, he came out this way to meet them and indulge a little.

 

But after watching Daryl the past few matches, he knew he went out the back way, where most people wouldn’t think to look.  For some guys, they wanted the glory and the fame and the women. It didn’t seem like Daryl wanted any of that. It seemed he just enjoyed the sport. He wasn’t getting paid much for these gigs, just a small portion of the earnings from the venue. 

 

When they made it to the back entrance, they saw a few men standing outside smoking. Mostly managers and trainers, allowing their fighters to shower and change before leaving. Abe tapped Shawn on the arm and pointed towards two people leaning against the wall. Shawn recognized them as Daryl’s team and was glad they were separate from the other people. Some managers were so desperate to get to the big times they could smell promoters and recruiters from a mile away.

 

Shawn and Abe bypassed the others, which caused a few glares from where they were standing, and made their way to Merle and the other man. They were talking in hushed voices but quickly shut up when Merle noticed them approaching. He hit the other man in the chest to turn around and see.

 

“Merle Dixon?” Shawn asked. Merle just grinned.

 

“Was wonderin’ when you was goin’ to come talk to us,” he spoke quietly. He too probably knew the desperation of men and didn’t want to alert them to anything.

 

“So you know we’ve seen his last few fights,” Abe questioned.

 

“He did. Didn’t clue us in till the last one.” Merle clicked his tongue and looked the men up and down. “Gotta say, you ain’t intimidatin’ as you used to be Greene. Ginger over here got more stance than you,”

 

“I don’t think you should offend the man who’s gonna offer your brother quite the deal,” Abraham puffed his chest out

 

“Don’t matter. He don’t want no deals.  He likes the way things are.”

 

“You and I both know that he’s worth more than the amateur league. He could go far with his career.” Shawn explained.

 

“I’ve told him countless time. I ain’t the one holdin’ him back. He don’t want the fame.”

 

Just then the door swung open and Daryl Dixon came out with a bag over his shoulder.  He took one look at where Merle and the other three were standing and continued walking towards the truck. 

 

Shawn knew he needed to talk to Daryl one on one so he bolted after him. Before he could get a word in and introduce himself, Daryl cut him off.

 

“Not interested,” Daryl said as he slung the bag over the tailgate. He was fishing for his keys when Shawn stopped in front of the driver’s door.

 

“You haven’t even heard the offer.”

 

“Not interested,” he stated again. Shawn had a few seconds left before Daryl would push him out of the way and leave so he had to think fast.

 

“This is my gym in Senoia.” Shawn rushed out as he grabbed a business card from his pocket. “Come by tomorrow and check it out. We can talk things over and if you still want nothing to do with this, then I’ll leave you alone.” 

 

Daryl huffed in annoyance and Shawn could see him rolling his eyes. “If you don’t come tomorrow, then I’m gonna keep coming around till you will talk to me. And if you continue to ignore me, then I’ll get my sister involved and you don’t want her harassing you.” Daryl smirked at the last comment.

 

“You get your sister to win your fights too?” Shawn could only chuckle at Daryl’s joke.

 

“I get it man. I really do.” Shawn tried to sympathize with him. “But you don’t want to look back in ten years and wish that you just came and talked with me.” Shawn continued to hold out the business card and slowly inched it closer towards Daryl. He grabbed the card quickly and shoved in the breast pocket of his shirt.

 

“Ain’t promisin’ nothing.”

 

“Just asking for a chance.” With that, Shawn moved out of the way and allowed Daryl into his truck. Merle and the other man were saying their goodbyes and Merle got in the truck, alongside his brother. Shawn watched them drive off and Abe came to stand next to him.

 

“So, you think he’ll come?” Abe asked.

 

“I have no idea, but at least we can sic Maggie on him if he doesn’t.”

 

“Even I know not to mess with that hellfire,” Abraham laughed heartily. Shawn knew he at least had a backup plan, but he was really hoping he didn’t have to use it.


	2. Lay It On The Line

_ Big news this week for Zach Smith as he was named number one contender for the heavyweight championship after his recent win against Aiden Monroe. _

_ With the new title comes new sponsorship as recent claims has him in talks with EA and TapouT. A match has not been announced yet, but with the upcoming UFC 336 in Ireland, this could be a prime time for this match up. _

_ Zach Smith hit news last month with his breakup from long term girlfriend Beth Greene, younger sister of past UFC fighter, Shawn Greene. After his matchup with Noah White, the couple were found by reporters in the middle of a heated exchange that left with Ms. Greene slapping Mr. Smith across the face and leaving the building. _

_ Although he told reporters afterwards that they were at different points in their lives, the sudden inclusion of a new woman in his life shortly after, has certainly raised a few eyebrows in the gossip community. _

_ Zach enters this new position with a 11-2-1 record _

 

Shawn was on pins and needles all night and morning. He knew he had a chance of getting Dixon here but he wanted to give the best impression of this gym that he could.  He wanted to make Daryl his star, the headliner of this gym and give Shawn back some of that celebrity he missed from his own glory days.

 

He had the staff cleaning up the past few days and Maggie had come in extra early that morning to make sure everything was setup. Fresh towels in the change rooms, water bottles in all the mini fridges, the canteen fully stocked with food and drinks for healthy eating.  Everything was spotless, and although, they already had some fighters training here, everything was kept immaculate from the staff and management. 

 

He had his phone beside him on his desk as he read the latest news from UFC. He read the article about Zach and couldn’t help but think about his baby sister.  They had been together for over a year, and she was happy with him. She hadn’t talked very much about why they had broken up but she was upset by it. 

 

Shawn had given her some time to figure things out and get over things but he was glad that her job allowed her to work from home. She had gone to college and earned a degree in public relations. Due to her young age, she was a wiz at social media and it was a no brainer that she would be hired as the gym’s PR rep and for any athlete that would require her services. 

 

He liked Zach and had hoped that he would change over and become the superstar of this gym but he obviously wasn’t in this for the long haul with Beth, so he was almost glad that Zach turned him down. It would be incredibly awkward to have his sister and her ex boyfriend in the same building all the time. 

 

He kept checking his phone, hoping for something from Daryl or Merle.  He was putting a lot of weight onto this decision and hoped that Daryl would at least give him a shot. There were others he could pick but none came close to the potential of Dixon. He was exactly what fans wanted, he could fight and he didn’t have dirty laundry. He was secure enough in himself to show off the scars on his back but never spoke about why they were there. He had a confidence about him in the ring, but kept pretty quiet about his personal life. 

 

Abraham has some friends in the military and was able to get a small amount of intel on Daryl and Merle. Not much came out of it but they learned they were both born and raised in Georgia and that Merle had a bit of a drug problem years ago. He sobered up and him and his brother worked until Daryl started fighting in the amateur leagues. 

 

Shawn had a hunch that Daryl had been fighting in the underground leagues. Ones that weren’t sanctioned or regulated as he came into the amateur leagues with a lot of knowledge. He was undefeated and didn’t go through the awkward phase most new fighters go through in their first few matches. 

 

It was something that Shawn wanted to learn more about; where the fighting came from? But he couldn’t scare him off just yet. 

 

“Shawn, I need you to sign these cheques,” Maggie bellowed from the hallway. He could hear her shoes clicking on the floor and coming towards his office. 

 

“Yeah, that’s fine,” he said from his desk. Maggie popped into the doorway with several papers in her hand. As the office manager, she took care of everything in the gym, and just got Shawn to sign the cheques. She had always been bossy and authoritative growing up and he trusted her. She had his best interests at heart so he could focus on training and growing his team, rather than wonder if the water bill was paid.

 

“Staring at your phone, and hiding in your office isn’t a good first impression.”She chimed in after putting the papers in front of him, “You should be out there, working with your other clients so he can see that you’re concerned about everyone.” Shawn sighed knowing she was right.

 

“Yeah, I’ll head down,” he submitted. “You talk to Beth today?”

 

“Yeah, she’s working on the website right now, getting all the fighters’ bios up. Lots of traffic coming in after that article a couple weeks ago.”

 

“We should get in contact with that blogger,” Shawn suggested.

 

“Beth’s already on it. They’re going for lunch next week,” Maggie replied. Shawn couldn’t help but laugh.

 

“Seriously, you two are the best things in my life.” Shawn got up from his chair and took off his sweater. He already had some track pants and a wife beater on underneath and he was gonna go help train. 

 

Maggie decided to put the cheques in the bank bag and go down to the front. She had a good feeling that Daryl would show up; he had no reason not to. Abraham and Shawn had explained how reluctant he was and what his brother had said.  Maggie still wasn’t worried, he would be an idiot to not come in today. If he knew anything about Shawn, he knew what kind of career he had, how determined he was back in those days and how confident he is in his skills. If he was a smart man, he would be here any minute now to see what Shawn had to offer.

 

Sure enough, Maggie noticed two men step into the gym within the hour and start looking around the front entryway. There was glass separating the front desk and the gym  and their receptionist was welcoming the two. She had been warned to contact Shawn the minute the Dixons arrived and her voice soon came over the P.A. system for Shawn to come to the front.

 

Maggie giggled the way she saw Shawn briskly walk to greet his guests. It was funny to see how antsy he was when he didn’t have to worry at all. When he made eye contact with her, she couldn’t help but exaggerate a wink to him and laugh. He laughed his sister off and made his way to the front.

 

“Daryl. Merle. Glad you could make it,” Shawn welcomed them. They nodded but Daryl only looked around, obviously trying to get a feel for this place. “How about I show you two around and then we can talk?”

 

“Sounds good to me,” Merle said, already walking towards the door. He tried to open it but it was locked. He turned with a confused look on his face.

 

“You need to be buzzed in by Jacqui here. We take security very seriously as I’ve seen things go down at other gyms with violence and stalking.” Shawn explained as the door was buzzed and he opened it for the two others.

 

“Know all about the violence,” Daryl mumbled as he made his way through. Merle kept up to pace with Shawn but Daryl seemed to be taking it all in around him. He was observant, Shawn gathered that much from him. 

 

“Men's locker room is to the right here. Women’s is on the left. Full locker, change rooms, bathrooms, showers and steam room are all in there. We keep fresh towels in there everyday and it's clean and sanitized every night.”

 

“Already a step up from the setup we got now,” Merle chuckled. 

 

“Here we have the basic warm up area and ring. It’s the biggest space and that’s where we work one on one with the fighters.” The ring was set up in the middle of the large room with mats surrounding it. There were two men in the ring and one trainer who was yelling commands at them. There was another woman, doing stretches on the floor, off in the corner.

 

“Up top on the second floor are all the offices. We have one for me, my sister Maggie who manages this place, office for the trainers, our nutritionist and one for my younger sister  who does PR.”

 

“Where’s the other trainin done?” Daryl finally asked.

 

“We have rooms for everything. Weight rooms, machine room, a pool in the back east side of the building. There’s a full canteen where you can get food, drinks, protein shakes and our nutritionist works with everyone to get a plan going.” Shawn answered. Daryl’s face still remained stoic and he wasn’t giving much away.

 

“Sounds like the kinda place you need brother. You’d get far with a place like this,” Merle suggested. Shawn was glad he didn’t have to get Merle on board, and he hoped because of their family bond, maybe he would listen to his older brother. He didn’t like ganging up on people, but he really wanted Daryl training in this gym.

 

“Why don’t we go to my office and discuss the offer?” Shawn asked hesitantly. He knew Merle would be up for it, but Daryl still wasn’t giving anything away with his facial expression. He saw a small nod and he blew a sigh of relief.

 

The walk wasn’t very long but Shawn was able to show them around a little more. There was some weight rooms under the offices and the canteen was also on the way towards the staircase. Merle kept rubbing at his brother, trying to get him to take notice to everything, and he seemed like he was, he was just quiet. He had the best poker face that Shawn had ever seen.

 

Once they were seated in Shawn’s office and the door was closed, Shawn sat down across from the other two men and took a deep breath.

 

“I’m gonna be honest with you Daryl. I want you training here. I know what it takes to be a professional UFC fighter and you have all the talent and mind of a true fighter.”

 

“Don’t need you kissing my ass,” Daryl finally spoke up. “This place is great and all but I don’t make the kind of money for it. I still have a full time job I go to, to pay the bills.”

 

“And that’s why you're gonna take my offer Daryl, cause you won’t need that job afterwards,” Shawn smiled, knowing he had this in the bag. “I need a fighter to put a spotlight on this gym. Make it a big name. I want you to be the headliner Daryl, and in return, I’ll take care of your life until you’re bringing in the big money.”

 

“Don’t take handouts.”

 

“This isn’t a handout. This is an opportunity. You need to train, gain some muscle to get into your weight class and worry only about becoming a professional UFC fighter. Once you get into those leagues, you can decide to pay your own way or stick with my offer.”

 

“What do you get out of this?” Daryl asked. 

 

“Typically, we would only ask for 15% of your winnings, but instead we’re gonna take 25%. I assume Merle is gonna remain your manager, and he would get 10% of your winnings.” Shawn explained. Daryl looked over at Merle, who was salivating at the thought of 10% of anything.

 

“You gonna take care of me too boss?” Merle asked with a grin on his face.

 

“As his manager, you will be in charge of working with our promoters, PR rep, taking care of his schedule, interviews. You do that, and we’ll make sure things are taken care of for you too, within reason.”

 

“You gonna give me a monthly allowance or something?” Daryl remarked.

 

“No. We are gonna put you up in an apartment, close to the gym here. Then it’s not too far of a commute. Your food will all be taken care of as you’ll be on a strict diet, and then anything else you need will be charged to a company credit card. We obviously will foot the bill.”

 

“So you wanna buy my life as long as I fight for you?”

 

“Again, we aren’t buying you. You wanna leave, I can’t make you stay. We’re gonna have a contract drafted up by lawyers but you will have the opportunity to leave this all beforehand. Once you start getting into real fights and making money, then we can re-visit this. I think we can get you to that point within six months.”

 

“Daryl, you know how much a headliner match is at these things? Millions!” Merle's eyes were large with greed.

 

“Entry level fights get you ten thousand just for showing up. Winner takes home twenty five.” Shawn added. “This isn’t about the money for you Daryl, I can tell. But if you want honor and respect,  you will get that with winning matches and especially winning a belt.”

 

Daryl took in Shawn’s words and looked over at Merle who was nodding his head yes. Shawn could see the wheels turning in his head and although he felt confident in his presentation and offer,  Daryl seemed like a strong headed man who didn’t take nothing for free.

 

Daryl sighed and looked at his hands that were fiddling in his lap. He looked up at Shawn and said the magical words he was dying to hear.

 

“I’m in.”


	3. New Beginnings

_ After UFC 336, we were surprised to see that no titles changed hand, including from heavyweight champion Martinez. His opponent, Len Gallas, was not the worthy opponent and most called the match a revenge plot after news surfaced of Len having an illicit relationship with Martinez's niece.  _

 

_ Zach Smith is still number one contender for the heavyweight championship, and will most likely be seeing Martinez in the ring within the next three months. _

 

_ Speaking of rings, it seems Zach Smith was able to move on from Beth Greene quite quickly as his new lady love was seen wearing a brand new sparkler on her left hand. Amy Harrison, 21,  is reportedly engaged to the number one contender and this can only raise a few eyebrows to the timing. _

 

_ In other ring news, we've heard that Shawn Greene new training gym has reached maximum capacity this past week and they are currently training a new up and comer to the professional circuit. _

 

_ No word yet on who this mysterious new fighter is but with Shawn Greene at the helm, we're sure we're going to find out soon enough and possibly a newcomer match is on the horizon. _

* * *

  
Beth closed out the internet browser after reading the full article and wanted to cry. She knew Zach had been cheating on; she knew the whole time and that’s why she ended it with him. But to hear he’s engaged to this girl now just struck a nerve that made her re-think everything in her life.

 

She worked hard through school and college to get her degree. She was polite and caring to her friends and family and she was always there for Zach since they had been together.

 

They had met years ago at one of Shawn’s matches. He was in a minor league at the time and was focused on getting into the pro leagues. Looking back now, it seemed their relationship was really just an in into the big leagues. They had only been dating for about a year but she was suspicious of his fidelity for the past six months.

 

She gave up so much to be with him. She let go of friendships and dreams to be by his side and making sure she was the perfect girlfriend. She lost her virginity to him when he said he needed to release tension after big fights. He always took and took from her and she got nothing in return except a broken heart and a sad excuse for a sex life.

 

She was livid and upset and just couldn’t concentrate on work so she gave up and closed down her laptop. She needed an escape and she needed a drink. She was surprised that not a single member of their family had stopped by her office yet, hoping to express their feelings for her situation. They must have read the article and stayed clear of her.

 

She left the building in a hurry and made her way to her apartment. There was a bar about two blocks from her building and she was planning on getting trashed tonight so she would leave her car at home. She wasn’t worried about anyone around her because if they took one look at her, they would know not to mess with her.

 

Beth didn’t even bother getting changed or heading up to her condo. She wore a skirt and white t-shirt underneath a blazer. The jacket stayed in her car, and she grabbed her wallet to take her ID, cash and keys with her. It was only five in the evening when she walked through the door yet there was a good crowd of people. The after work crowd she assumed.

 

There was an empty stool at the bar which she zeroed in on and she got herself nice and comfortable. 

 

It was gonna be a long night.

 

The bartender came over to her and gave her the standard “What can I get you?” He probably was not prepared for her answer.

 

“I dumped my ex-boyfriend a month ago and he’s already engaged to the girl he was cheating on me with. What would you suggest to remedy that?” She sassed with her fakest grin. She heard a chuckle from the seat beside her.

 

“I’d say 100 Proof and a .45” he drawled out before taking a sip of his beer.

 

“You heard the man,” she spoke to the bartender who gave her a grin and went to get her drink.

 

“I’ll take a shot too,” the man beside her added. Beth took this time to notice him and see who was making the suggestion. He was built but lean, longer hair that got into his face and a stubbly goatee. In the dimly lit bar, she could see the curve of his muscles as they stretched his dark blue t-shirt. 

 

The bartender came back with their shots, and a mixed cocktail for Beth. She winked in gratitude and turned towards her saviour.

 

“What are we drinking to?” she asked, holding up her shot. He looked her in the eye, clearly thinking about what he was gonna say. He grabbed his own shot glass and clinked it with hers.

 

“New beginnings,”

  
  


She was crazy.

 

She was absolutely crazy but god, did she need this.

 

The man who ordered her the moonshine, and toasted their new beginnings, had become her companion for the night. They spent the evening drinking and talking and she didn’t even know his name. They agreed early on that names didn’t matter, this was about getting trashed and venting their problems. He didn’t seem like the kind of guy who would normally talk but the alcohol seemed to have given him some confidence. When the bar started to clear up, they moved to a booth and they discussed how crappy of a boyfriend she had and he admitted he was terrified and nervous of starting his new job the next day.

 

As more drinks were consumed, they got closer in the booth until he was running his fingers through the back of her hair and she running her finger up and down his thigh. There was an electricity between them and she couldn’t deny it. She was never the type of girl who would do a one night stand, let alone with a man who she didn’t know their name but everything just kinda fell into place.

 

He started calling her darlin’ or pretty girl and she returned the favor by calling him blue eyes. Once she got a look at them, she couldn’t get that image out of her mind. His piercing blue eyes just grew with lust and never in the time was she with Zach did she feel as wanted by a man, as he was with her right now.

 

Somehow she ended up in his lap, letting him kiss the side of her neck while she ran her hands over his well defined chest and arms. In her lust-ridden mind, she whispered that her place was a couple blocks from here and they should head over there.

 

And that’s how they ended up here, in her bed, clothing shed on the floor and him in his boxer briefs.

 

She was soaked as his hands were running up and down her folds, while his mouth was attached to her left nipple. Her hand was gripped to his neck, holding him in place and he sucked the delicate bud into his mouth. Her other hand, was grasping at the sheets, as her orgasm was fast approaching. 

 

In all the times she had sex with Zach, never did he try to get her off first, or barely afterwards. It was expected that she orgasm during sex, along with him and he would have the audacity to question why she couldn’t cum. She learned to fake it within the first month and  that a vibrator could be a girls’ best friend.

 

This guy was having no problem at all. Ol’ blue eyes here knew exactly what he was doing. He had two fingers pumping into her tight heat while the palm of his hand rubbed her clit at the right pressure. She was moaning like a porn star at the sensations and it must have turned him on because he was thrusting his hard-on into her thigh. She could feel his length through the thin piece of fabric and she was practically salivating to get her mouth on it.

 

His pace quickened as his kissing went from her breast to her neck, just below her ear.  Her breathing was erratic, she felt like she was losing her breath every time his fingers would hit that special spot inside of her. 

 

“Gotta cum, pretty girl,” he groaned. “Get my fingers nice and wet,”

 

He’s into dirty talk. 

 

“Fuck,” Beth moaned as she finally fell over the edge. Blue eyes continued his frenzy pace as her walls fluttered around his fingers. She kept moaning and swearing as she felt her whole body arch off the bed. She pleaded with God to keep this feeling going as long as possible because it was the single best orgasm she had ever felt.

 

His pace slowed as she came down but his fingers remained inside. She could feel her wetness coating her thighs and she clamped down on his hand to keep him there. She turned her head and kissed him hard. He returned her kiss with equal fervor and soon his hand slid up her body, leaving a trail of wetness up her stomach and over her chest. 

 

He pulled away to bring his fingers to his mouth and Beth thought she would cum again, just from the sight of him licking his fingers clean. Fingers that were buried inside of her not a minute ago and were coated with her essence. Break time was officially over and she pulled him back down to kiss him again, running her tongue over his, getting turned on by her taste on his mouth.

 

“I need you to fuck me now,” she pleaded, sounding like a harlot. She was sure that the alcohol was fueling the confidence but at this point, she felt like a whole new women.

 

“Yes ma’am,” was his reply. His southern drawl had worked her into a frenzy at the bar, and he was a well mannered gentleman. Just hearing him call her ma’am had her right at the edge again.

 

They continued to kiss lazily as he removed his boxers and grabbed the condom off the nightstand. They both knew where this night was headed the minute they walked through the door so it came as no shock then when he was removing his pants, he took the condoms out of his wallet and put them in plain view. 

 

She took a good look at his endowment and was please at what she saw. Not only perfectly hung, but it felt so soft and Beth has to contain herself from taking him in her mouth. She only had one dick to compare him to and this guy would always come out on top. 

 

Speaking of top, he got right on top of her, so their bodies were melded together as one. Her legs opened wide to accommodate his body. His hand moved between them to lead his length inside of her and he must have known she wasn’t into teasing as he gently slid in her, with one motion.

 

“Fuck darlin’,” he rasped out, bottoming out in her and taking a moment. Beth felt so incredibly full with him inside of her, and she realized that sex could maybe be good with the right partner. He was thrusting slowly, trying to find that perfect spot but seemed to be getting frustrated. He grabbed her leg and hitched it over his hip, allowing him to penetrate her deeper and she couldn’t help but moan out as she could feel him even more now.

 

He found a deep rhythm, not going fast but making sure she felt every single one of his thrusts. The moans only got louder from both of them and she knew that having an orgasm during sex could be accomplished right now. She needed a little extra push to get there and hoped that his voice would help.

 

They were kissing lazily, barely even touching between thrusts and she kissed towards his neck, sucking on his collarbone where a small x tattoo was located. It seemed to be his favorite spot as he pushed hard into her, whenever she touched it.

 

“Ahhh, this feels good,” she whimpered into his ear. It edged him on and his pace quickened. 

 

“So tight,” he replied back huskily. “So fuckin good,”

 

“Make me cum again,” she pleaded, a moan escaping after as he rubbed his pelvis against hers. There was no room to fit a hand between them to touch her bundle of nerves, but she wrapped her other leg around his backside and held on tight as he continued to thrust faster.

 

“Gonna make you cum girl. Get my dick wet witchu’,” he rasped out. He kept repeating those words, and god, if it wasn’t making this ten times better. His voice just oozed lust and want and it didn’t take long before she reached her climax, with him following closely behind. 

 

She could have blacked out from the sheer pleasure or maybe she drank more than she thought, but when she opened her eyes, he was laying beside her, breathing hard and trying to catch his breath. She was no better, her chest heaving in pure exhaustion and her pussy throbbing with satisfaction.

 

There were no words between them, only the steadying of their breaths. He eventually sat up, and got out of bed and made his way into her ensuite bathroom, holding onto the condom as he went to clean himself up. 

 

Beth took a moment to just relax and let the evening wash over her. The alcohol seemed to have burned off with their activities and she had a clear mind. 

 

That was amazing and she had been missing out. 

 

He came back out of the bathroom and went searching for his pants. Beth could feel the disappointment in her as she realised he was probably going to leave now.  Her confidence was wavering now and she suddenly couldn’t find the words to ask him to stay, or even to exchange numbers. She shot up in bed and caught his attention

 

He was slipping on his pants and looked over to her and she must have had the deer in the headlights look cause he gave her a smirk.

 

“Just gonna have a smoke,” he said, holding up his pack from his pocket. Relief hit her full force and she smiled.

 

“You can use my balcony in the living room,” she offered. He nodded and made his way out of the bedroom. She collapsed back onto the bed and sighed. Both in exhaustion and satisfaction. While he was outside, she figured, she should clean herself up, use the bathroom and come back into bed.

 

She felt extremely proud of herself tonight. For doing something totally out of the ordinary, and for bagging a handsome man in the process. She debated what tomorrow morning would be like, would he sneak out while she slept or would he still be here in the morning. She silently hoped that he would stay and maybe they could exchange numbers cause she definitely wanted to do this again.


	4. Shit

It had been two weeks since Daryl had accepted Shawn’s offer and given his notice to work. He had moved into his new apartment, leasing his old place to one of Merle’s friends. Everything was falling into place and yet he remained nervous about this new life. 

 

It was a huge change and he would be giving up a lot of his control to other people. A trainer to teach him how to fight, a nutritionist to tell him what to eat, a promoter who told him when to fight. He didn’t know if he was ready for all this.

 

The offer was lucrative but what Shawn had spoken of resonated with him. He didn’t do this for the money, he did it for the passion. He’s had to fight his entire life and it was something he was good at. 

 

Last night, he decided to just go out and drown his worries away. He would probably be forbidden to drink for months now so he wanted to enjoy these vices while he could. The minute she walked into the bar, his whole world turned over. 

 

He was not the type of guy who indulged in the ladies. He’s had few girlfriends in his 35 years and it had been awhile since he taken one to bed. He learned very early on in the amateur leagues that these women were looking for providers and baby daddies and he was looking to be neither. 

 

She was on a mission, he could see that. When she admitted that she dumped her cheating boyfriend, he couldn’t help but wonder why anyone would leave this girl for someone else. She was gorgeous, probably the prettiest girl he had ever seen, and any man would be stupid to break her heart. 

 

Maybe he was feeling the alcohol or maybe he was driven by her beauty but he suddenly grew a pair and suggested a drink for her. Soon they were swapping stories about their problems and sharing more drinks and food. Then they were swapping spit and bodily fluids.

 

Normally, he wouldn’t have tried too hard to get a girl off, but she seemed like she needed it. She was the type of girl who should be cherished, and made love to and really, she deserved the moon. It wasn’t even a chore, he wanted to do this for her and he was rewarded heavily

 

Watching her as she fell apart was the sexiest thing he had ever seen and she was so responsive to him that the casanova in him just came out. The sex was phenomenal and she looked so upset when he was getting his pants to have a smoke. In all honesty, he thought she would want him out of there the minute they were done, but she surprised him with her concern.

 

He came back to the bedroom to see her still naked and laying under the covers of the bed, setting her phone’s alarm. She smiled when he came back in and moved the covers as an invitation to join her. 

 

They fell asleep after a few more kisses and he was awoken in the early hours of the morning to her sucking his hard dick. He officially thanked her ex for screwing up and giving him the opportunity to have a chance with her. She was perfection and even when he tried to move her off of him, she just kept going until she took in every last drop. 

 

They slept a little longer until her alarm went off and he woke her with kisses along her collarbone and chest. He was never this affectionate with a woman but he just wanted her over and over again. She teased him enough that when she offered to share a shower, he was about to jump out of bed and join her but knew they would just get carried away.  He declined and said he was gonna head out. She smiled back at him and motioned to her phone.

 

“You should add your number into my phone, if you want,” she said shyly.  He simply nodded and let her get on with her day. If she offered, he was more than willing to oblige her. Guys like him didn’t get chances with girls like her and he was gonna take opportunity when it came knockin. 

 

While inputting his number, he debated if he should put his name as the contact. They had agreed on no names the night before but things were different now,  weren’t they? He decided to go with what she had called him, Blue Eyes. He saved his info and texted himself so he had her number too. He saved her as Pretty Girl and he vowed to change it once he learned her name. 

 

He grabbed his things and left her condo, taking note of where it was. The bar was only two blocks away and his bike was still there where he left it. It was only eight thirty in the morning and he had a meeting at Shawn’s gym for ten. They would go over the training plan, nutrition plan and fighting schedule. He knew it would be a long time before he would get into the professional fight but he would work as hard as he needed to get to that point. 

 

He was overwhelmed last night but today he felt better about the situation. Maybe talking it out with mystery girl had helped, maybe getting laid was the answer.

 

“You better ‘ave been  gettin’ your dick wet,” Merle stated when Daryl walked through the door. He was lounging in a wifebeater and work pants, clearly dressed from the clothes the night before.

 

Daryl chose to ignore the comment from his brother and made his way to his bedroom. He wanted to grab a shower and change of clothes before they had to head to the gym for their meeting. Unfortunately, Merle was being chatty this morning.

 

“Imagine my surprise to see I beat you home last night. She must have been a good one for you to forget your celibacy.” He leaned against the door to the bedroom, as Daryl was picking out some new clothes to wear.

 

“Wasn't like that,” Daryl tried to explain but realised there was no point.

 

“Don’t matter none though. New team will probably put a kibosh on anything fun for you,”

 

“And? Does that affect your social life?”

 

“No,”

 

“Well then don’t worry bout me so much,” Daryl argued, growing frustrated. “Now get yourself ready, we got that meetin’ to get to.”

 

Merle held his hands in the air in surrender and walked backwards to his own room. Daryl closed the door behind him and got showered and dressed for the day. 

 

He was grabbing his things off the dresser when he saw the light on his cell phone flashing. He picked it up and saw he had a text message, from the one and only Pretty Girl.

 

**Guess you are interested, Blue Eyes. Was glad to see you used my nickname cause I don’t think I would have found you in all my contacts. -B**

 

He smirked and replied back to her.

 

**I got competition? -D**

 

He wasn’t worried too much about her seeing another guy as she had explained in detail about her dumbass ex. But he was curious as to why she had so many people in her phone.

 

**After last night, HELL NO! -B**

 

He felt a bit of pride swell inside for giving her a great night and for making her forget her troubles. It went both ways because the stress and nervousness was now gone and he was actually looking forward to starting at the gym today with Shawn and his crew.

 

He drew a blank on what to say next to her. He was really bad at these things, never knowing what a woman was really saying or feeling without a direct message. He hovered over the letters on the keyboard and just tried to think of something witty to say. He started typing but he was nervous if he was asking too much of her.

 

**Could always give you a repeat, just to make sure. -D**

 

**I would definitely be a willing participant ;) -B**

 

He grinned again.

 

**Maybe this time we can actually learn each other’s names -D**

 

**I dunno, I kinda like this mystery between us…. -B**

 

“You texting your hook up?” Merle asked from the doorway again. Daryl whirled around like he has been caught red handed and placed his phone in his pocket.

 

“Don’t worry bout it,” he replied, grabbing his gym bag and training gear.

 

“Don’t be falling in love, little brother. You got a career to worry bout,”

 

Daryl knew that Merle was right. Now was not the time to be having a relationship when he needed to focus 100% of his time on getting the pro leagues. It was one thing to train like one, it was another to actually be in a match.

 

They got into their truck and made the short drive to the gym. It was nice that Shawn owned the apartment complex and rented it out to his out of town athletes and visitors. It made everything that much easier and the commute was barely even ten minutes. 

 

Shawn was at the door, waiting again along with the receptionist who had their ID badges and keys. Daryl was getting a private locker room in the deal that only he and two others had the key to. He could leave his stuff here, get it laundered, shower in his own bathroom and not worry about other people tampering with his stuff. It was common knowledge in these leagues that jealousy led to stupidity and he had seen first hand people ripping others gear to shreds.

 

Shawn was getting him to meet the team today, show him around and they would go over the next two months of training and nutrition plan. He was quite a bit of muscle to gain to get into the lightweight class and he needed it on now. 

 

Eugene was his first stop as he needed to get some bloodwork, urine and saliva samples done. Once he could analyse everything, he could start on the diet that would help Daryl gain the weight he needed. He also needed to eat certain foods before fights, drink protein shakes throughout the day and stay away from other foods. It would be very complicated but well worth it in the end.

 

Meeting Herschel Greene was a true honor for Daryl and he respected the man for staying in the business. He was a boxer, and a damn good one at that. Daryl never really paid attention to fighters now, but Hershel Greene was someone he remembered from his childhood. His fight and determination or what lead him to be the champ that he was and his love of the game was what kept him around all these years.

 

It was such a shock to see him standing upright. Everyone in Georgia knew about the accident that claimed his wife and his leg but you wouldn’t know it. 

 

“Good to meet you son, and I wanna welcome you to Greene Gym,” He greeted Daryl with a firm handshake. He has a cane in one hand but was barely even using it. 

 

“Honor’s mine sir. I’m proud to be fighting under this place,”

 

“Good to hear. I like a man with pride. And you Daryl, you got that in spades.” Daryl rubbed his neck, clearly in embarrassment. He wasn’t used to hearing compliments about himself and it just felt weird.

 

“I saw some of the footage of your fight and I really see a lot of Shawn in you. You got a fire in you Daryl and you know how to control it. That’s what’s gonna make you a champ.” His words flowed like he had spoken those lines many times. It actually made Daryl feel proud as this man now looked to him like he looked at his son a long time ago. That made him feel like he was apart of this family in a way, which was a strange thing to admit.

 

“I just wanna do you all proud and thank ya for givin me a chance,” Daryl stated. 

 

“You will Daryl, just wait and see.” Shawn added. He pointed to the chairs by his desk and motioned for them to sit down. He grabbed a file and took out the front page, making sure he went over everything.

 

“Maggie runs this place but if you need anything you come to me. You’re my fighter and I’m gonna make sure you’re taken care of. My dad here is gonna be working with Abe on your training, along with me. Eugene is taking care of your medical and will be your doc at ringside. My other sister Beth is our PR rep and she’s gonna be working along with Merle, getting you promoted and a household name.”

 

“I’ll go get her, she’ll probably want to get started right away,” Hershel said and he walked out of the office to go and grab her.

 

“So tell me more about Beth,” Merle said, licking his lips. Shawn looked up from his paperwork and glared at Merle.

 

“You want to be at this gym, you better not so much as look at her in the wrong way. I may be retired but I can still kick your ass,” Shawn threatened which only made Merle chuckle. Daryl punched him in the arm, as a means to tell him to shut the hell up but Merle was clearly just playing games. 

 

“Besides, she just dumped her boyfriend after she found out he was cheating on her so she probably ain’t looking at anyone for the moment.” 

 

Daryl’s mind started to drift then as he took in Shawn’s words. That was quite personal what he just said and yet, he could feel himself start to panic. Sweat started to bead at his brow. 

 

There was no way…….

 

It couldn’t be…..

 

He heard a timid knock at the door and turned around in his seat to see who it was. Lo and behold, his pretty girl from last night was standing in the doorway. She had a smile on her face that suddenly turned to a frown as they both realised who the other was.

 

“Shit,” he muttered under his breath and he could see her doing the same.


	5. Keep Your Mouth Shut

Merle could tell there was some tension in the room, the minute he heard the knock at the open office door. He looked at the girl and watched as her face fell in horror. He side eyed his brother who had the same look on his face. It didn’t take a genius to find out that Daryl’s side piece was now in the same room. 

He was also his boss’ little sister.

Usually he would gloat and chuckle and make fun of Daryl but he would save that for later. Right now, he needed Daryl to keep his job so he would have to do his managerial duties and save face.

“You must be Beth Greene,” Merle spoke, standing from his chair and offering his hand. She looked confused at the voice and kept darting her eyes between him and his brother. She finally pulled herself together and reached out to shake his hand.

“You must be Merle, it’s good to meet you,” she said delicately, her hand so soft in his.

“Pleasure’s all mine, missy,” he said casually, giving a glance back at his brother.

“You don’t listen very well, do you?” Shawn said angrily from his side of the desk, he had sat up and was giving Merle a death glare. 

“Shawn,” Beth bit back, clearly telling her brother to stand down. There was an awkwardness in the air, as silence loomed. Beth and Daryl were obviously trying not to give light to their relationship but it seemed Shawn was starting to pick up on it cause confusion crossed his features.

“Why don’t you and Daryl finish up here and me and blondie will go and work in her office. We got things to go over too.” Merle suggested, looking straight at Beth. She seemed offended at first, her mouth starting to gape open and disgust laced in her eyes but once she saw Merle’s intense glare, she realised that she needed to trust him and get out of this room.

“Yeah, keep Daryl occupied and I’ll work with Merle right now,’ Beth replied. She ran out of the room quicker than lightning and Merle just waltzed out with a grin on his face. 

This was gonna be fun.

Beth closed the door behind Merle and showed him a seat in front of her desk. He made himself comfortable and Beth leaned on the desk in front of him.

She stayed silent, not sure what to say and Merle couldn’t help but chuckle from his seat. 

“This job just got a million time better,” he joked, laughing a little harder. She took a deep breath, containing her anger and started to speak.

“I don’t know what you think this is….”

“Oh I know what this is. You and my brother got it on like Marvin Gaye last night and didn’t think you’d be seein’ each other this soon,”

“It’s not like that,” she tried to argue but he he just laughed harder.

“Oh little girl, you and him are screwed. I dunno what you two were plannin’ on doin but I can only guess that each other if off the table now,”

“Would you stop talking like that,” Beth hushed Merle. “I don’t need anyone to walk by my office and get the wrong idea.”

“Is my brother a bad idea to you? Were you just slummin last night?” Merle accused Beth. He knew these types of girls and he suddenly got defensive towards her. You don’t treat him or his brother like shit just to get your wilds. 

“No, absolutely not. I actually really like him,”

“So what’s gonna happen now? You allowed relations in this workplace or you gonna keep him as your dirty little secret?” He stared her down. There was a fire in her eyes now, that grew steadily.

“Whatever happens between me and Daryl is nobody’s concern. But you will keep your mouth shut in the meantime because I don’t need my father finding out”

“Gotta worry bout him putting a shotgun to my brother’s ass,”

“No, but if you were a father, I’m sure you wouldn’t want to hear about what your daughter was up to,”

“Point taken,” Merle conceded. They stared at each other for a few moments before Beth relaxed and made her way to her chair.

“I want to see Daryl succeed as much as you do. First and foremost this is for him and my brother’s gym, and it will remain that way. You and I are now going to work on his promotion plan and what both our roles are gonna be in this. Is that okay with you Mr. Dixon?” she questioned in her professional tone. 

“Sure princess,” he said with a wink. “Whatver you want,”

 

Merle spent several hours with Beth which is more than he ever spent with a woman that didn’t involve sex in some way. She was thorough and professional but made this easy for him. He was Daryl’s manager and was responsible for him. This included keeping him in line, on schedule and away from the negativity.

He laughed when Beth suggested he go along with the training regiments and give up a lot of vices but he knew he wouldn’t be able to. Daryl could handle those things on his own; he always had. Merle was just there to watch his back and make sure he stayed on the right side of things.

Beth would be his point of contact; all things were go through her. She promoted Daryl, his matches and the gym. Merle needed to get contacts going, be friendly with the media and UFC committee and anyone else who needed their ass kissed.

They discussed his image and how they were going to promote him to the public. That was an easy one. Daryl was the soft one, the positive one out of the two. If Merle was the devil, Daryl was the angel. This gave Beth a great idea.

“Angel wings,” she stated, proud of her thought. “ We promote him like saint. He doesn’t have a record, he’s clean and he’s honest. We can put angel wings on his robe, his fighting equipment, her merchandise, everything,”

“Think that would look a little girly on him” Merle stated. Beth shook her head. 

“Believe me, it will be perfect!”

They worked through lunch, with Beth being able to order some food be brought up for them. Merle was starting to like the way things went around here. Being manager of the gym’s star already had it’s perks but he was gonna get treated like royalty. 

And the pussy he was gonna get because of it…..

It was a long day but they got through everything and Merle met up with Daryl in the training room. Herschel and Shawn were going over Daryl’s tapes with him and showing him areas of improvement. That was something they never did, cause neither would know. You throw a punch and if it sticks, it’s good. You miss, you try again.

Herschel noticed Merle come into the room and stood up, with the help of his cane.

“You and Beth finished up?” he asked softly, as was always his tone. 

“Yeah, got it all done and I got homework for this week to do,” he said jokingly.

“She’s a drill sergeant that one. Always gets it done her way,” Merle couldn’t help but smirk and look at Daryl at Herschel’s words. It was still funny hours later.

“You done with the champ over there or should I wait around,”

“Nah, I think we’ve overloaded him today. I think he checked out a couple hours ago,” Shawn laughed. Daryl huffed but rubbed his neck in embarrassment. 

If only they really know what was on his mind.

“We’ll see you tomorrow at nine tomorrow Daryl. We’ll get started on training,” Shawn said, clasping one hand on his back. Daryl nodded and got up from his seat. 

They left the gym in silence and made their way to the truck. Daryl closed the door to the driver’s seat and exhaled deeply. He looked over at Merle and could see the shit eating grin he had firmly planted on his face. 

“We gonna talk bout the elephant in the room,”

“Don’t want to,” Daryl gruffed. 

“Oh c’mon. This is funny bro. You and the sister. Didn’t think you had it in you,”

“Didn’t know who she was,” Daryl admitted.

“Well you know now,”

“I don’t need your input Merle. Just drop it,” Daryl said angrily. Merle would usually bust his brother’s balls over this but Daryl’s tone was giving off a serious warning. He was probably stressed out with his training schedule and this whole Beth thing was probably throwing him off his concentration. He didn’t blame the guy, the girl was gorgeous, but as she put it, they had to put his career first. 

He figured he’s give Daryl some space and let him sort himself out. Maybe later tonight he would bug him a little cause at this moment, he would probably be knocked on his ass. 

By the time they got home, Daryl had stormed out of the truck and up their apartment. He was slamming doors and made his way into his room. That was typical Daryl. When the going got tough, he retreated. He didn’t deal with stress well and his gut reaction was to hide. Which is the exact opposite of his fighting. 

Daryl got into fighting due to anger and frustration. He was in a bad point in his life and he wanted to move past it so he found fighting to be an outlet for that. But he still cowered when the pressure got too high, it was why he never wanted to go past the amateur leagues. But there was something about Shawn Greene that changed his mind. 

Everyone knew about Shawn Greene and his blossoming career. He was a huge name and everyone around here knew him as the hometown hero. Then his accident happened and we all thought we’d never hear from him again.

Merle gave big credit to Shawn and Hershel Greene. They both lost a lot in that accident yet, both fought through it, and seeing them today, you’d never think anything was wrong. And the fact that Shawn was even getting back into the business, in his own way, was something Merle couldn’t help but respect. He would have given up and drank himself to death.

The Greene family was definitely a force to be reckoned with.

You could beat them down but they would still get up, and that was something that the Dixon family could understand. They’ve always been fighters, even when they were too young to understand what that meant but they held their own and protected it. The more he thought about it, the more Merle was okay with this new partnership.

He only hoped that Daryl could get his head on straight and do what was right. Regardless of his feelings for Beth, he needed to worry about a championship.

It was getting late and Daryl hadn't come out of his room to eat. Normally Merle would give two shits what Daryl was up to but Beth had ingrained in him that Merle was the dad now and needed to keep Daryl on the right path. 

It was the last thing he ever should be to Daryl but when the boss says it, it goes.

He made himself a sandwich and upon careful thought, made one for Daryl too. He needed to keep his weight up and eating was gonna help with that. Worse case is he left it and Merle looked like he tried. He sure as hell wasn't gonna force feed him or watch him eat, he was a grown man after all.

He sat at the table and hollared at Daryl's door.

“Made you food champ.” He heard nothing behind the door. He gave it some time, finished off his own food and his Coke before he went to the door to knock.

Still no sound.

“Don't be a pussy Daryl and man up. So you screwed your boss's sister...who cares,” Merle joked. 

Still no sound.

He opened the door slowly. “You better not be jackin’ off or somethin’,” he warned before heading in.

He was gone.

The bed was rumpled from what looked like him laying down and sitting on the edge. His shoes were missing, as they usually were by his door, and his phone wasn't on his nightstand.

Merle could help but let out a laugh.

“Guess he does have balls,”


	6. Decisions

We need to talk about this. -B

Merle give you the 3rd degree?.-D

Not really. Did you know? -B

No. What about you? -D

No. No offense but dating a fighter was the last thing I wanted to do. -B

Dating? -D

I really don't want to be doing this over the phone. Can you come over here? -B

Be there in twenty. -D

Beth re-read the text conversation they had while she waited. He would be here any minute and she was terrified. This morning has been amazing and she was looking forward to meeting up with blue eyes again but she never thought in a million years he would also be her brother's star fighter.

So many thoughts ran through her mind when Merle had left her office. There were so many variables here and many ways they could make this work and so many reasons that they shouldn't.

A buzz to her condo took her out of her thoughts and she buzzed Daryl in when she saw it was him on the security video.

She was nervous but she had made up her mind. It wouldn't be easy but they would make this work. She opened her door to see Daryl walking up the hallway, and her heart leapt in pace. He had an effect on her since the night before and it clearly hadn't subsided.

All reasoning left her mind and when Daryl stood in front of her in the doorway, she pulled on his shirt and smashed her lips against his. She was hoping deep down that he would put a stop to this but when his lips started moving against hers with the exact same fervor, she knew they were both fucked.

They made their way through the doorway, and she assumed Daryl slammed the door shut behind him cause he had his hands on her hips and pushed her against the back of it. Their hands were moving vigorously over each other’s bodies; she couldn’t keep up with the pace.

She pulled his hair when he nipped at her neck, letting out a breathy moan as he sucked lightly on her skin. Her hands moved downwards, to the base of his shirt, pulling it up from his body and exploring the skin underneath. 

She could feel the tension mount between them and she knew they had hit a crossroads. It wasn’t too late to back out and have an adult conversation. She didn’t want to be the one to pull back and ruin this moment. It felt too good.

“Tell me to stop,” he spoke between kisses. 

“No,” she breathed, pulling him into another passionate kiss. There was no thought, no logic or anything behind her answer. It was pure want at this moment.

He grabbed her by the back of her legs and she jumped up to wrap them around his waist. He already knew the layout and easily maneuvered them to the bedroom. The whole time, she was kissing and biting around his earlobe, as he was walking and working her bra undone.

They fell onto the bed with not a inch of space between them. It was difficult enough, trying to remove their clothes while still maintaining contact and Beth couldn’t help but giggle as Daryl was having a rough time kissing her, and pulling her skinny jeans off her legs. He grew frustrated and pulled away so that he could get better leverage with the offending material.

While he was standing, he removed his own clothes and she watched with heated eyes. This man was absolute decadence and he probably didn’t even try. His rugged good looks and muscular body would make any girl swoon. She licked her lips, wanting to taste every inch of him with her mouth.

He returned and slowly kissed her from her feet, to her bare mound, to her exposed breasts. She was buzzing with excitement, wanting to feel him inside of her already. There was no need for foreplay right now. She was wet and ready for him to take her.

“Need you now!” she exclaimed as he sucked on her erect nipple. He smirked into her skin, giving her chest one last kiss before kissing her hard on the mouth again. He grabbed the condom from the nightstand, having placed it there when he removed his pants, and sheathed himself quickly. 

There was no delay and he pulled her close, pushing himself into her with one movement. His pace started slow, to give her time to adjust to his length. She cried out as he bottomed out in her, the sensation making her body ignite in flames. 

There was no awkwardness or fumbling around; no alcohol to take the edge off. Both were present and wanting; their passion consuming their bodies and minds. Daryl grunted as he thrusted his hips in between hers, his pace quickening. He could feel the tightness in his balls, as they pleaded to finish. His only thoughts though, were that Beth feel just as good as he was.

He stopped his motions and flipped them over so Beth was on top. She seemed surprised by his sudden movement but quickly fell back into rhythm as she started to ride him. Her hands went directly for his chest, to stabilize herself and she rocked against him, her nails slightly scratching his skin.

His dominant hand went directly to her clit and started rubbing the bundle of nerves in small circles. His other hand went to her hip, pulling her as she moved on top of him and allowing him some leverage to thrust up inside of her at the same time. She repeated his name, the Lord’ name, curse words, whatever she could as she felt her orgasm approach. Her back arched as it finally rose and spilled over, a cry escaping her mouth in satisfaction.

Daryl wasn’t far behind her as he continued to slam his cock into her tight channel. It gripped him hard as she climaxed, and he felt himself explode inside of the condom. She collapsed on top of him, both out of breath and a light coating of sweat on their bodies. They laid still, breathing hard as they both realized that this wasn’t what was supposed to happen.

Beth rolled off of Daryl, pulling the sheet across her body as a shield as she finally regained her composure. Although she didn’t feel an ounce of regret of what they just did, she couldn’t help but wonder if this would complicate things even more.  
She looked over to see him grab a tissue from the side table and removed the condom. He threw it in the waste basket next to the bed. When his body turned back towards her, she quickly diverted her eyes.

“Do you need some water?” she asked as she stared at the ceiling above them. He pulled a blanket over his naked body and sat up in the bed to rest against the headboard.

“Nah, I'm good.” He replied quietly. The silence that followed was deafening. It made her anxious about what was about to happen.

“I'm really sorry about all this. I honestly never expected any of it.” She spoke first, her voice slightly shaky.

“Didn't know either,” he replied looking over at her.

“And I do genuinely like you and had hoped that we could have been something more than one night,”

“But…” he questioned harshly.

“We can't do this Daryl.” It felt like a ton of concrete had just been poured over her heart. 

“I get it,” Daryl replied, choosing to not look at Beth anymore. She can only assume he was disappointed, which she was well.

“I really wish we could and I've even contemplated keeping things secret but I can't do that to you or my family.”

“Who you trying to persuade here?” Beth smirked at his comment.

“Both of us,” she laughed lightly. “I don't think you understand how hard this really is for me.”

“You don’t know me, should be easy,” Daryl grunted out. She could tell he was building walls around himself and she was worried that this would turn bad very quickly.

“Last night was amazing. We talked and opened up to one another. I thought we had a connection and I really wanted to explore that.”

“Still could,” he spoke with hope. He chanced a glance at her and she smiled.

“You are just starting out your professional career. You will not have time for a relationship,” she explained. He nodded his head and went back to staring at the floor. “Your head needs to be focused on your training and not if you’re spending enough time with me or worrying about us. My brother would kill me if I was the cause of your distracted mind.”

“I get it,” he replied.

“I want us to be able to work together and not let this affect us. And maybe one day we could try this again,” Beth explained. Daryl remained quiet, eventually silence took over the room. Beth wasn’t sure to say anymore, and this was all turning out to be extremely awkward. 

Daryl stood up and grabbed his pants off the floor, pulling them on and looking for the rest of his clothes. Beth watched him as he quickly grabbed his things and her mind went blank. She knew she couldn’t let him go like this, with things so muddled and confusing. Her heart was breaking into a million pieces and she didn’t know how to stop it. By the time he gathered his things, Beth was sitting in bed, the sheet pulled up across her chest and her eyes pleading for him to stay. Daryl took one glance at her and sighed.

“I don’t know what to say Daryl,” she admitted, hoping that he would say something.

“Neither do I,” he replied and walked out of the room. When she heard the front door close, she finally let the tears fall.

By the next morning, Beth had gotten maybe three hours of sleep total. Her eyes were red and her face was swollen from all the crying. 

She had tried to convince herself that she was doing the right thing but every other part of her felt like this was wrong.

She was tired but knew she couldn't call out of work. That was the downside of working with your family. They would check up on you and she really didn't want to admit what had happened between her and Daryl. She could maybe blame it on the break-up with Zach but she really didn’t want to get into that again either. 

She dragged herself into the bathroom, and could barely recognize herself in the mirror. She looked as bad as she felt and she wondered why this hurt so much. She barely knew Daryl and yet, here she was, tired and heartbroken over a relationship that couldn’t happen.

She saw the disappointment on his face when she tried to explain her reasoning. It was something she felt too but she had to think of him first and right now, his career came before anything else. 

She also was doing this for her brother. He was putting his reputation on the line with opening this gym and investing in an unknown fighter. The last thing she wanted to do was sabotage this new venture by distracting the guy. 

All this talking to herself was giving her a headache and she knew that she was just talking in circles and trying to prove to herself that she did the right thing. Deep down though, she knew that she was wrong. It was just about how long she keep things pushed down before it all came back up again.


	7. Eyes On The Prize

Punch

Jab

Knee Kick

Punch

Jab

All Daryl could think about was the next move.

Punch

Jab

Knee Kick

Beth

Jab

Beth

Beth

Scratch that. He was using fighting as a distraction from what was really on his mind. 

Beth.

He could barely sleep last night after what happened with her. He went to her apartment the night before to talk with her and see how they could make things work. The last thing he was expecting was to have sex with her again. Then she rejected him which just pissed him off even more.

He wasn’t a ladies man. Barely had any women in his life. But then she came along and made him question his priorities and think that maybe he could look at relationships seriously. But such as his life, luck was not on his side. 

He knew he was fortunate to have this opportunity with Shawn and Hershel and he didn’t want to screw this up. His whole adult life was focused towards this goal and he would be stupid enough to fuck this up now. 

He just wished that Beth wasn’t related to Shawn or he had never met her beforehand. This whole situation could have been alleviated had……

Had what?

He didn’t regret meeting her. The time they spent together was intimate and eye opening. They didn’t even know each other’s names and yet had this amazing conversation at the bar and opened up to one another. They talked about various topics and he knew that she was dealing with a bad breakup, but yet she seemed so open and bubbly. The alcohol wasn’t helping either of them but he felt closer to her than anyone else he had ever met before.

He understood why she needed to push him away. Had he actually thought about it beforehand, he would have come to the same conclusion. He couldn’t mess this up. He needed to keep focused and keep his head on straight. 

He just wondered was this gonna mess him up regardless?

He kept punching the bag and didn’t even hear someone come up behind him. Shawn placed down his bag and walked up behind Daryl.

“Knew you were punctual, didn’t know you’d show up two hours early,” he chuckled. Daryl stopped his movements and turned around. His breath was slightly heavy but he wasn’t exhausted.

“Just had to get some frustrations out,” Daryl admitted.

“Nuff said.” Shawn said with a nod. “I’m gonna get changed and then we can start on warm-ups.”

Daryl grunted in agreement and backed away from the bag. Now that Shawn was here, it would help him focus on what was really important and hopefully he wouldn’t stay stuck on the pretty blonde.

 

Shawn had gone over the training schedule and Daryl understood it, but he was seriously unprepared for how intensive it would be. His morning was spent running and biking, which proceeded in him throwing up everything he had eaten that morning. 

After he was forced to eat lunch, it was all about Brazilian jiu-jitsu. Daryl had limited teaching in this so this where Shawn was putting a lot of focus. Shawn himself was a brown belt, but due to his past injuries, couldn’t continue on with his studies. Daryl was still more than pleased to learn what he could from Shawn and work himself to his own belts.

Shawn managed to slow down the movements and show Daryl how he was already doing some of these moves, just not correctly. Which made sense since Daryl never really had formal training. It was all things he learned from others and from actually being in the ring. But to see how he should move his arm and keep his knee locked really made sense and he caught on quite quickly.

Abraham would come by every so often and tape what Daryl was doing. They had explained that they could review it later on see where they needed to improve. It took him awhile to get used to people hovering around him but eventually he found his zone with Shawn and everything else disappeared.

By the end of the day, Daryl was tired, sweating profusely and just done. This was the hardest training session he had ever participated in and he had no idea how he would do this everyday.

He was sitting up against the cage, resting while Abraham and Shawn went over his numbers. Eugene was beside him, spouting off some nutritional information and Daryl had been paying attention until he saw Beth walk by the gym. She was looking down into a file folder and seemed to be entranced with what she was reading. Daryl could feel his heartbeat speeding up again and he watched her and cursed himself for losing his concentration. Shawn looked up and saw his sister and called her over.

Her head shot up and she looked to where her brother was standing. She looked around the gym and when her eyes met his, he couldn’t help but smirk. Her eyes grew wide as she saw him shirtless and sweaty and she quickly turned her head, but he could see the blush creeping up her neck to her cheeks. At least he knew that she felt as much of an attraction to him as he did to her.

“I need to throw a launch party in two weeks time,” Shawn spoke to Beth.

“Okay, but we already had a grand opening party when we opened the gym,” she stated.

“Yeah I know, but I want to launch Daryl. Let the world know that he’s our headliner.” Shawn crossed his arms over his chest as he elaborated.

“Oh, I thought we were just going to do a press release and maybe an interview. I already have something drafted,” she explained.

“No, I wanna do this big and proper. We need the press to be here, friends and family. I want to show him off,” Shawn chuckled.

“He’s a fighter, not a new toy,” Beth said, looking back at Daryl. He laughed at her statement and got up from the ring.

“I don’t need a party man,” Daryl spoke. He was never one for the spotlight and although he knew it was now apart of his life, he would still try to avoid it as much as possible.

“No, we need to do this right. I want this gym and you to be taken seriously. You get it all setup Bethy, and Daryl, you just need to show up.”

Beth pursed her lips together and nodded her head in agreement. Daryl would have put up more of a fight but it seemed that Shawn was going to have his way. She turned back around and walked back to her office, Daryl watching her hips sway as she did so. 

Girl did have a great ass.

“Think we’re good for today. Get in the steam shower, then see Eugene.” Shawn stated. Daryl nodded, glad to be done for the day. 

His personal locker room was a godsend. It was filled with his stuff and was comfortable. He didn’t need to worry about people breaking into this locker or forgetting a towel. It was all there for him, and it was clean. Something he had never thought about until he started here.

He was sitting on the bench in his steam shower, letting his muscles relax from the intense workout they had just been put through. He had never had such luxury before and for once in his life, he was going to take advantage of this good fortune. The downside, was that it gave him time to think. And his mind was still focused in on one person.

Beth Greene.

It hadn’t started out that way. In fact, he had been thinking about the party and all the people he was probably going to meet. He was worried about the impression he would give people, as he knows he wasn’t the most pleasant person to meet. It wasn’t that he was an unhappy guy, he just wasn’t very sociable. 

That’s when things got muddled with thoughts of Beth. 

She was amazing to talk to. From the night they met, he enjoyed talking with her and being around her. She was genuine and had a smile on her face the entire time they were at the bar. It was what drew him in at first. The smile that just radiated happiness, even though she has just been through the ringer of a break-up.

“Think you’ve been in there long enough lil brother,” Merle said, shocking Daryl from his thoughts. “Pecker is gonna shrivel up and then how you gonna please blondie?” he joked with his large laugh.

“Would you give it up already with her,” Daryl spoke through the glass of the shower. He could see the outline of his brother, taking a seat on the couch that was up against the wall.

“And here I was thinkin you two were gonna be goin as a couple to this shin dig her brother’s plannin for ya,” He relaxed into the sofa. Daryl turned off the steam shower and took the towel from the rack beside him. He circled it around his waist and stepped out of the enclosure.

“There ain’t no me and her. She’s the boss’ sister and that’s it.” Daryl rebutted, clearly getting agitated with the situation.

“Figured as much when you came home yesterday in one of your usual moods. Least you got it out of your system. Would hate for you to be let go had you waited longer to bone her,”

“Can you drop it already?” Daryl snarled. Merle knew when to stop and this was defintely the moment to stop.

“Let’s talk about this party then. Beth told me to make sure you’re there,” Merle spoke. Daryl had gone behind the bathroom wall to throw on his boxers and pants. 

“Course I’m gonna be there,” He bit back as he came out from behind the wall. Merle quirked his eyebrow.

“I mean actually be there, in mind there fella. I know you and you turn into a wallflower and then disappear. This is your party and you need to schmooze the people.”

“Isn’t that what I pay you for Merle?” 

“I get paid to manage you. And my ass is on the line if you suddenly pull a houdini. You need to be shaking hands and kissing babies and all that shit,” Merle looked at him as he pulled his shirt over his head.

“I ain’t you Merle. I ain’t some social butterfly and people don’t want to get to know me,”

“You ain’t doin’ this for you, you’re doin it for Shawn. That man is putting his life on the line to bring you to the big leagues and this is the first big step you’re gonna do to pay him back. You’re gonna drink your champagne, smile, meet some people and repeat.” 

Daryl sat down on the couch beside his brother and sulked. He knew Merle was right. This party was for him but this was really about Shawn. Him taking a chance on an unknown, getting back in the ring in some form. He put his money and his reputation on the line and Daryl owed him so much for this opportunity that this was the least he could do. 

“I gotta wear a monkey suit?” Daryl finally spoke.

“Don’t worry, you’ll be the best lookin redneck at this party,” Merle joked with a slap on his brother’s back. 

He finished dressing and they made their way to the front doors. Daryl couldn’t help but catch a glimpse of the offices on the second floor. She was an addiction that he couldn’t seem to shake off. He would always feel that pull towards her and while they worked in close proximity, he would always feel the temptation. If he did his part to stay away from her, and she did hers, then they would be golden.

He had to stay focused on his career but all he wanted to do was focus on her. As he left the building, he felt that feeling in his chest about being away from her and he couldn’t help but sigh. 

This was really gonna suck.


	8. Get Out Of My Head

_The highly anticipated reveal of Greene Gym’s headliner has finally come upon us. We just received the invite for the formal launch party of their newest star. No word yet on a name but all who matters in this industry will be present tonight as we meet the man of the hour._

_I myself was one of the lucky few who will get an one on one interview with the newest fighter to the UFC. Expect a posting tomorrow with the full write up and bio._

Beth had worked her ass off for the past two weeks getting this party planned. Shawn wanted it to be huge and he was getting exactly what he wished for.

They closed the gym early the night before and would be closed for the next 48 hours. They had to move everything out of the way of the main gym so they could have people milling around. They left the ring but pushed it to the far wall where it would become their stage. Currently, some of the staff were pulling the ring walls down and the electrician and sound technician would be here in a bit to setup the microphone and speakers needed.

Beth was in charge of all the setup while Maggie agreed to look after the cleanup. This was a huge night for her entire family and she wanted everything to be perfect. Shawn was counting on her to make this a success and she was determined to make it that.

She was in her office working on the press sheet for that night. She was going through the journalists names and confirming via e-mail their time. Beth had given Merle a response sheet to look over and to go over with Daryl. She was trying to maintain a certain amount of distance with him and Merle was the perfect middle man.

Spending all her time with Merle really made it clear how different the two brothers were. Merle treated everything like a chore. He was there for the money and the fame, not because he was good at running his mouth, although she admitted, he was good at doing that too. She had to walk him through everything, and explain what Daryl’s role was as well as his own. It was work but that’s what Beth was paid to do.

Daryl on the other hand went straight for it. He never complained about the schedule or all upcoming press events he would be part of, or the photoshoots that would take place in the gym over the next few weeks. He wanted to fight and he did the best job he could. He put his body and mind and life on the line for his career and Beth couldn’t help but admire it.

It made Beth realise why she was so attracted to him now. He was gorgeous and rugged but he had drive and determination. Zach wanted notoriety and fame. He was always looking for photo ops and chances to make big money. He was a great fighter but he didn’t want to fight unless it was worth his while.

Daryl would fight because he wanted to. He would do it for honor and respect, not a paycheck. And that was the sexiest, most honorable trait a man could have.

Beth was in la la land when her office phone began ringing. It scared her out of her dreamland and she was frazzled when she picked it up.

“Ummm, Green Gym, how can I help you?” she asked with a shaky voice.

“Is this Beth Greene?” came the female voice on the other end.

“Yes,” Beth replied, shaking her head slightly. “This is Beth,”

“It’s Carol Pelletier from UFC. Do you have a minute?”

“Oh, absolutely. I always have time for you,” Beth replied with a smile on her face. She had gotten to know Carol quite well over the years and they had a good repertoire between them.

“Oh good. You seemed a little busy when you picked up.” she laughed. Beth gave her own laugh.

“Yeah, I’m just getting everything ready for tonight so my mind is in a million places.” Beth admitted., although she kept exactly where her mind was going quiet.

“That’s why I was calling actually. I had a few fighters who are in your neck of the woods and were wanting to join the party tonight and see Shawn,” Carol said.

“Oh sure. Shawn would be happy to see some old friends.”

“Perfect. Can you add them to your guest list? They might bring some people with but they assured me it wouldn’t be out of hand.” Carol sounded relieved.

“Sure. Who’s all coming?” Beth asked, grabbing a pen from her desk.

“Jason Miller, Anthony Johnson and Cole Miler.” Beth wrote down their names quickly so she would type them up afterwards.

“I’ll add and guests so just let them know to have their entourage with them upon arrival or give security the names of those coming on their own.”

“You got it. Thanks again Beth and good luck tonight,” Carol spoke.

“Thanks Carol. Talk to you soon!” Beth hung up the phone after saying goodbye. She opened up the guest list document on her computer to add the names. It was going to be quite the party tonight and she couldn’t wait for it to be over with already.

 

Beth stood at the top of the balcony with her brother, looking over the swarm of people that were in attendance.

“You did good Bethy,” Shawn spoke, his chest puffed in pride. Beth couldn’t help but laugh at him.

“This was all of us Shawn. Team Greene.” she replied.

“Yeah. We all did a good job,” he corrected.

“When is Daryl getting here?” Beth asked.

“Oh he’s already here. He wanted to get ready here, saying Merle was entertaining people back at their apartment.”

“Oh,” she spoke, knowing that Daryl probably didn’t want to partake in said activities or his brother’s antics.

“Yeah, we still have another half hour before we start so I’ll probably go check on him and make sure he’s still in one piece.” Shawn said.

“I’m sure he’s fine.”

“Yeah, he probably is,” Shawn looked to his guests once more. All of a sudden Shawn stepped back. “No way,” he exclaimed, looking at who just walked through the door. Beth turned to see some old friends of his walk in and was happy to see how excited her brother was.

Shawn went running down stairs to greet them and Beth slowly followed after him. She giggled at the way they man hugged and patted each other on the back. The voices were booming as they reunited. She was walking towards them to greet them herself when she stopped in her tracks.

The last person Beth expected to show up tonight was standing in the doorway, with his arm slung around a woman with a large diamond ring on her finger. She was frozen in her spot and couldn’t think of what to do in that moment. Her entire mind went blank and she stared at them like a creepy stalker.

“Oh my god,” came a voice from behind her and she turned her head to see Maggie. “Why is he here?”

Those were the exact words that went through Beth’s mind but she couldn’t seem to process them. She was slowly getting feeling back in her body and seemed to snap back in herself.

“Tell Shawn, I’ll go check on Daryl for him,” she spoke hurriedly. Without hearing a response, she hightailed it past the other guests towards Daryl’s private change room. She knew the code to get in and knocked before entering to make sure he wasn’t naked at the moment.

Not that it really mattered. She saw Daryl sitting on the edge of the couch with his hands clasped over his knees, his head hanging low. His shirt was buttoned but a tie lay beside him on the couch. He looked up at the noise of the door opening and was confused to see Beth standing at the door.

She closed it behind her quickly, and pressed her back up against it. Seeing Daryl so vulnerable right now, and the emotions she was feeling from seeing Zach, caused her body to have a reaction and the tears that were hiding were now falling freely down her face.

“Are you okay in here?” Beth said as calmly as she could, although she probably looked like a mess, with tears streaming down her face.

“I’m fine, are you okay? He asked, getting up from the couch to move closer to her. She nodded her head but covered her mouth to hold back a sob.

“I’m sorry. I don’t know why I’m crying,” she replied, trying to convince the both of them. He arched his eyebrow and she knew that he wasn’t fooled. “Okay that’s a lie. Zach showed up,”

Beth could see the realization come across Daryl as to what that meant and she could see his face soften for a moment, in comfort but then she saw his hands clench into fists and his eyebrows starting to scrunch together. He body started to move towards her to get through the door but Beth put her hands upon his chest.

“No Daryl, I’m fine,” she said, trying to push him back towards the couch. “That’s now why I’m upset.”

“You just said it was Zach,”

“Yes, and I’m pissed that he’s here and he brought her but that’s not why I’m upset. Don’t cause a scene with him when he’s not worth it.” she tried to explain.

Daryl was still agitated but stopped trying to move past her. He watched her face as she wiped away the tears and regained her composure.

“Why's he here?” Daryl asked.

“Cause he's an asshole. He has no reason to be here but this is classic Zach. He’s here to mess with our heads.”

“Seems to have gotten to yours”

“Well that was easy. Hes here to mess with Shawn and you probably.”

“He don't know me,” Daryl asked confused.

“Exactly. He wants to put the focus on him and take it was away from Shawn. I should have known he would weasel his way in ruin what was supposed to be your night.” Beth shook her head in disbelief.

“What's he gonna do?” Daryl questioned, continuing to look at Beth.

“Be himself. Talk with the press and other guests. He's looking for photo ops and when people talk about this night, it's gonna be about how he came here to mend bridges between my family and him. How hes being the bigger man and showing support.”

“He's a dick,” Daryl stated.

“Yeah, I see that now.” Beth sighed. “Just ridiculous that it took me so long to figure that out.

“He ain't worth your worry Beth, or tears. Dude is an asshole, simple as that.”

“Thanks for letting me vent.”

“Seems to be our thing,” Daryl joked. Beth couldn't help but giggle and the awkwardness between them seemed to dissipate for just a moment.

“Well we need to finish getting you ready and I need to fix the mess that I'm sure is in my face.” Beth wiped at her cheeks.

“You look beautiful Beth,” Daryl answered. She couldn't help but blush and she reached up to place her hand on his cheek. She moved forward and placed a kiss on his cheek, grazing the corner of his lips with slight pressure.

“You are amazing Daryl Dixon. Just keep being yourself and they will love you.” Their eyes met and Daryl couldn't help but lean his head forward and kiss her forehead.

They let each other go and finished getting ready. No words were spoken but the air wasn’t awkward around them. They were able to lean on each other and help the other get their nerves out about tonight.

When it was time for them to leave the room, Daryl hesitated at the door. Beth looked beside her to see a frown on his face and him taking deep breaths. She grabbed his hand in hers and gave it a squeeze.

“You don’t have to be anyone but yourself Daryl. You made it because of who you are. They can’t take anything away from you” Beth spoke softly and with a comfort in her voice. Daryl turned his head towards her and gave her a squeeze back.

“I’ll be within five feet of you the whole time. You need me, just let me know,” Beth reassured him.

“Same goes for you. Zach gives any trouble and I’ll punch his lights out,” Daryl said with a serious tone. Beth smiled and ducked her head, taking her hand away from Daryl. The sense of loss was felt immediately but this was not the night to be thinking about their feeling for one another. This was Daryl’s night, and as she opened the door to let him out into the crowd, she knew deep down that they both were gonna make it tonight.


	9. Run For His Money

_When I first heard that Shawn Greene was picking an amateur to fight for his gym, I had some reservations. It takes a lot to get into the big leagues and with the amount of unclaimed talent in this league, he could have easily chosen an up and comer._

_His new fighter, Daryl Dixon, surpasses all expectations with his demeanor, look and fighting style. A short highlight reel had been shown before he was introduced and the fast paced and technical skills this man possesses would shut down any hater._

_(The video is listed on our blog's main page if you haven't seen it already.)_

_He's a man of few words but his brother and manager, Merle Dixon, makes up for it. He brings an energy that I personally haven't felt in a long time and this brotherly duo is the perfect one-two punch._

_I did get a few words from Daryl about his training regime and how it compares to his training before._

_“...It's more intense and I have real professionals helping me along. I thought I knew techniques before but with Shawn and Hershel's help, I'm able to find better control in my moves.”_

_Some familiar faces came out to the launch party but Zach Smith was a definite surprise, what with his history with the Greene family. He was seen with friends and fiancee leaving the party shortly after Dixons introduction._

_“I'm happy for Shawn and I wish him success with this new guy. Can't wait till I can meet him in the ring.”_

_Daryl’s full detail sheet is listed below and he's now on the active roster, with eligibility to fight anytime starting in three weeks._

 

* * *

 

Watching Daryl spar with Abraham in the ring was just amazing to watch. This past month had shown great strides for Daryl and his ability to take on new information and make positive changes to his fighting style.

His launch last month had been of great success and his gym was getting the recognition and respect he had been hoping for. News outlets were coming to cover his comeback and how his new star athlete was making a name for himself. His old friends from UFC even offered to come in and help out when he needed with fitness classes, and training for other members.

Shawn couldn’t help but feel pride in this endeavor and it also made him sad. He could recall how it felt to be at the top of his sport and how much he missed it. It was all taken away from him one night but he was getting a second chance at his dream, although he wouldn’t be the one to win.

He was proud to have Daryl fight under his name and he couldn’t have picked anyone better. He originally thought Zach would be the one to fill the spot but after finding out what he did to his little sister, he was glad to have never asked him.

Daryl was an honorable man who would never do anything to hurt this family and Shawn couldn’t help but respect that. He had a deep sense of pride for family, as was apparent with him keeping his brother close.

Daryl was able to get along with everyone close to Shawn and that spoke volumes about his character. He treated everyone fairly and thanked those who helped him personally on a daily basis. Hershel had nothing but good things to say about him and attitude towards fighting. Maggie never had a problem with him and Beth……

Something was weird about Beth and Daryl.

Shawn was usually pretty oblivious to things but something just seemed odd about the two of them together and he did take notice of it.

During the night of the launch party, Daryl and Beth were glued to each other the whole night. It was warranted as she was in charge of the interviews for him and needed to keep things moving and organized. But Shawn noted his eyes would always find hers in interviews. And Beth would always give small smiles and bite her lip when they did make contact with her own.

Since then, when Beth and Daryl converse, there is no sense of awkwardness between them; they speak as though they know each other so well. He gives her shy smiles and looks of interest behind her back and she searches for him first in the room when she enters.

He’s caught them talking, although they keep it brief. He’s seen her place her hand on his arm and giggle at something he says. They gravitate to each other in a room yet sometimes never acknowledge the other in any form of communication.

It’s like they hold a connection but it’s hard to say how that’s possible. Beth usually deals with Merle or Shawn directly, very rarely with Daryl. So for them to seem close has never made sense to Shawn and it kinda bothered him.

He had thought of the idea of them dating behind his back but he knew that wasn’t possible. Beth was at home whenever he came to visit and Daryl was here at the gym, unless he went home to sleep. It was physically impossible that these two were seeing each other.

It also conflicted Shawn on how he felt about that scenario. He was very protective of his sisters and especially after what Zach did to Beth, he felt an overwhelming need to protect her now. Daryl was not Zach but Beth deserved someone who could give her the time she deserved. She should be treated like a proper lady and not be used as an image to further one’s career.

Daryl was at the beginning of a lengthy career, knock on wood, and he just would not have the time to devote to a girlfriend right now. Beth also wasn’t ready for dating, at least that’s what he thought.

It was probably nothing at all but two people just being friendly with each other. Nonetheless, he was going to keep an eye on the two of them just in case. He still wasn’t sure how he felt about it and he wouldn’t want them to hide anything from him. He was not a fan of being blindsided.

Shawn was thrown from his thoughts when Beth and Maggie came into the room, arguing loudly. He turned from his spot against the ropes and furrowed his eyebrows in frustration.

“Can you two not do that here?” he spoke firmly.

“Beth needs to tell you something,” Maggie spoke over Beth who was pulling her sister back. Beth let ot an exasperated sigh and glared at her older sister.

“I wanted to talk it over with you and dad first, before we spoke to Shawn.” Beth said irritated.

“This is Shawn’s gym, let him decide.” Maggie argued back.

“Can you two stop you bickering and just tell me what this about. I’m in the middle of training.” Shawn hollered. Both women stopped speaking and looked at their brother.

“Daryl got an offer for a fight,” Beth said. Shawn’s eyes lit up.

“Really? That’s amazing!” Shawn spoke excitably. “When is it? Who’s it against?”

“It’s not on the books, it’s a charity match,” Beth interrupted her brother’s excitement. “In fact, they want to donate the money towards the charity that you are creating.”

“Are you kidding me?” Shawn’s eyes lit up. “I haven’t even finished setting it up yet and someone wants to donate to it? This is incredible!” Shawn whooped. He turned around towards the ring where Daryl and Abe were still grappling. “Guys come down here, I got great news,”

Abe and Daryl stopped and Eugene came towards Daryl to give him a towel and water bottle. They came down the steps to join the group and Shawn noticed the way that Beth looked at Daryl suddenly. She froze when she realised he had no shirt on and was dripping with sweat. She looked away quickly but Shawn still caught the look that past through her eyes.

Lust

“You have a fight offer,” Shawn said, looking towards Daryl. He waited for Daryl to show some type of emotion but his lips remained pursed together. “That’s a good thing, man”

“Seems a little sudden?” he grunted out, finally regaining his breath.

“Not necessarily. You’ve been on the roster for the past week so you can accept offers at any point now.” Maggie explained.

“Who’s the opponent Beth?” Shawn asked eagerly. Beth could only take a deep breath and sigh.

“Zach,” she admitted. Shawn felt his body slump in defeat. He looked over at Daryl and he saw the man’s hands turn into fist and anger radiate off his body. That was odd. Daryl didn’t even know Zach, why would he be getting angry.

Although he knew that Zach and Beth had once been together so maybe it had something to do with that?

“I think we need to consider this Shawn. He said he would personally make a one hundred thousand dollar donation, plus all the tickets sales.” Maggie explained. Shawn could feel a headache coming on.

“Think we need to have a meeting about this,” Shawn spoke in his manager like tone. “Daryl go get showered and changed and we’ll all meet up in the boardroom in half an hour. Abe and Eugene, I want you two to sit in as well. I want us to think through this carefully before we give an answer.”

Everyone agreed and went their separate ways, and Shawn went and followed Beth back to her office. She must have been in another world because she didn’t even notice that her brother was behind her until she sat down at her desk.

She clasped a hand to her heart and breathed deeply. “You need a bell or something,” she spoke. Shawn gave a small smile and sat down across from her.

“I will decline right away if you want me to. Daryl doesn’t have to fight Zach.” Shawn offered.

“This isn’t about me Shawn; this is business.” Beth calmly explained.

“I don’t want you to feel like that. He’s an asshole and we shouldn’t be giving him chances like this,”

“Shawn, I really don’t think that Zach is doing this because of me. It’s because of you,” Beth said.

Shawn was perplexed by that statement. Why him? Beth saw the confusion across his face and explained further.

“He knows you are a great fighter. Would have been top of the league for years had you not had your accident. He’s fighting Daryl because he thinks it would be like fighting you. He wants the glory.”

“That’s a dick move if you ask me,”

“Well Zach is a dick so…” Beth joked. Shawn couldn’t help but chuckle and looked at his sister.

“I’m glad that you can see past him and we’re gonna consider this,” he spoke.

“Like I said, this is business. I think it deserves to hear all sides even though I’m sure Zach’s motives are far from right,”

“We’ll get it figured out.” Shawn said as he stood up from his chair. He gave Beth a wink and made his way to his office to grab the foundation papers he needed.

 

In the end, they decided the fight would happen.

Shawn sat in the boardroom all alone, while everyone else had gone home. They had spent over an hour weighing the pros and cons of this decision and everyone was allowed to give their opinion on the matter.

Beth explained why she thought this was an attack on Shawn and his gym and while everyone agreed with her, Daryl would have to fight Zach one day so why not let this first one go as a charity match.

Daryl wasn’t against the idea, he felt he needed more time but the event was still six weeks away so there was time. He was in amazing shape and this would give him some good insight to what an official fight would be like, without it being on the books.

Maggie wanted the exposure for her brother’s foundation and this money would help give them some great startup. Plus with amount of press that would follow, they could host more events sooner rather than later.

Hershel was the last to speak and his words spoke with the most honesty. Daryl needed to prove himself and this was a great opportunity. Even though Zach might be doing this for the wrong reasons, Daryl was being his true self. He wanted to fight and represent his brand and help out for a good cause because he’s a good person.

With that, they all came to the agreement and they all decided on the next steps. Abe and Eugene would get Daryl moving harder on his exercise and food regime, Maggie would get the foundation going and Beth would get the press release done. Shawn just needed to do some interviews and get the tickets sold.

All in all, his family and team were gonna make this a huge success, regardless of the match’s outcome. Daryl could lose and Shawn would still be proud of him because this was his spot. He was gonna become a household name and Shawn couldn’t wait. Zach might be popular now, but Daryl was gonna give him a run for his money.


	10. Good Luck Charm

_Breaking News!!!_

_The 14th Annual Fighting For A Cause has just announced it’s main event and it is sure to go down in the history books. Zach Smith, the current number one contender for the Heavyweight Belt, has challenged newcomer Daryl Dixon to his headlining fight._

_Along with being the headliner, Smith has the ability to choose which charity the proceeds of the night will go to. And in a surprise for everyone involved, he chose the newly founded Life On The Greene Side, created by none other than Shawn Greene._

_The fact that Shawn is the CEO of this foundation, and his own gym’s fighter is the opponent has us scratching our heads slightly. Perhaps there is no animosity between the two men, regardless of the personal relationship issues Smith had with Beth Greene._

_We spoke to Shawn about this upcoming match between Smith and Dixon._

_“We’re excited to get the ball rolling with Daryl; he’s chomping at the bit to get in the ring and I think this charity match is going to showcase his skills perfectly. Zach is a great fighter and Daryl’s abilities are right on par so this should be a great fight between the two”_

_When asked about the rumored feud between himself and Smith, he could only laugh. “What happened between him and my sister is their own business. Zach and I only worry about the business of fighting in the ring.”_

_Smith also commented on the upcoming match with nothing but kind words. “I’m ready to see what Daryl is made of. He looks like a great fighter and from what little I have seen of his matches, he’s going to keep me on my toes._

_Along with the ticket sales benefiting Life On the Greene Side, Smith has also made the comment that he will be making his own personal donation to the foundation to the tune of one hundred thousand dollars._

_“This is a great cause to support. I’ve known Shawn on a personal level and when he was in that accident, it really put him in a bad place. This foundation which benefits those overcoming injuries and personal losses really show what he has overcome and the fact that he wants to help others out, just demonstrates what Shawn is really made of. I respect him so much for putting this together.”_

_You can find out more information about the foundation at its website, www.lifeonthegreeneside.com as well as to purchase tickets for this fundraising event._

* * *

 

Beth had thought a lot about it and she thinks she pinpointed the night of Daryl’s launch as the moment when things changed between them.

It seemed like all the awkwardness that had occurred after they discovered their true identities had diminished and they were back to being comfortable around one another. It was hard sometimes to be around him but they both knew that they couldn't change their scenario and Beth had essentially given up on anything romantic ever happening between them. It seemed he had as well.

Long gone were the subtle glances and small smiles and they were replaced with head nods and corner grins from the mouth. More often than not, when Daryl was training, he was focused on what was in front of him. Beth could be in the room and he would never look her way.

She felt ridiculous that she was disappointed by his lack of attention. She shouldn't have felt like this but it was impossible when her physical attraction to him was at an all-time high.

His muscles were well defined now and much larger. He had packed on much-needed weight but it went to his shoulders and arms.

On more than one occasion Beth would watch from the doorway, just to see his body covered in a light layer of sweat, his muscles clenched from the training and his hair pushed back, allowing her to see his face.

Whether she was drooling slightly was up for debate though, in her head at least.

It brought her back to the few times they had been together and the visuals alone were enough to give her something to think about while she used her vibrator.

Yeah…..that happened.

She was so shy with Zach and even when they weren't having sex any longer, she never felt the need to pleasure herself. There was so much resentment and anger towards him that she wasn't in the mood for that. But after Daryl, he awakened something strong, deep within her.

She wanted to be with him again so bad, but that was playing with fire. So she was left with her battery operated friend, and her mind filled with images of a sweaty and tired Daryl Dixon.

It worked for the most part but it was losing its charm. She craved the real touch of a man and even though she now had experience with a one night stand, she just couldn't deal with the thought of anyone else satisfying her but Daryl.

Which sucked.

His fight was coming up in a week so he was in the gym for 6 days a week right now. Beth found that lately, she needed to leave the building just to stop the temptation. Yet she still found her way to him in some form.

She would go to speak to Shawn about trivial things that could have waited, or spend time with her father. She even resorted to speaking to Eugene once, just so she could catch Daryl before he went and showered.

Yeah, she was desperate.

It wasn't just physical though, he was amazing through and through. He had such a kind heart and although he was shy, he had said the sweetest things to her to brighten her day.

Now, she craved that he would speak more than five words to her.

She only had herself to blame though, as she was the one that stopped things from progressing. And it made sense, although there were times now where she questioned her sanity.

But with how hard he was working towards his match, what kind of relationship could they have? Him training all hours of the day, her busy with press releases for both the gym and the charity. She barely saw him now, how on earth would they have time for dates and sleepovers and such.

Yeah. She made the right decision.

Or at least that's what she kept telling herself.

Her mind was cleared out when she heard a knock on her door. She lifted her eyes from the computer screen to see Merle coming into her office.

“What you up to, blondie?” he asked casually, leaning back in the chair and playing with a toothpick between his teeth.

“Working, like you should be doing,” she responded with pursed lips.

“You seem stressed. Maybe you need to get laid?” he chuckled. She rolled her eyes and went back to the computer.

“Thought you put that to rest.”

“Hard to when the two of you just have sad puppy dog eyes for (?) one another, pining away for each other like Romeo and Juliet.”

“Probably not the best comparison seeing as they each committed suicide.”

“Way that my brother acts, it seems that might be the only way to put him out of his misery.”

“That's not funny, Merle.” Beth spoke, “and your brother looks fine to me.”

“Just goes to show how blind you are kid.”

“Okay, how about enough of the jabs and you make your point already!” Beth said sternly.

“You watch him fight?” Merle said calmly with a grin on his face.

“Yeah, I have. He’s great,” Beth replied.

“You know he fights better when you’re ‘round. Puts a fire in his belly.”

“He fights hard every time I see him.”

“You daddy made a comment to me, said Daryl was more focused and pushed harder and when I looked over, there you were watching him. Minute you left, his energy fell back down, starting messing up.”

“So?”

“You don’t see a correlation between that? You must be blind and dumb,” Merle said rolling his eyes. Beth huffed out a breath.

“He fights better when I’m around? I don’t see…..”

“He’s fighting for you,” Merle stated. Beth felt her mouth slightly open from the confession. She kept blinking trying to process what Merle was trying to really tell her but that just kept knocking her breath out of her.

“He and I are just friends, it’s better this way.”

“Don’t mean he doesn’t want something more. Man is trying to prove himself worthy of you.”  
Merle confirmed what she already suspected he was getting at. Beth let out a sigh and bit her lip in thought.

“I can’t distract him from this fight or building his career.”

“See that’s the problem, blondie,” Merle said as he got up from the chair. “Y’al‘ready are.” With that, Merle walked out of her office and back down to the training floor.

Beth could only remain seated in her chair, staring at the door in which he just vacated. She doubted her ability to have that much of an effect on him. He was a professional, he didn’t do better because of her.

But why would Merle even say that to her? What point would that prove?

She cursed herself for even caring and brought up the security cameras they had around in the public areas. She clicked on the feed that was showing Daryl in the ring with Abe, with both Shawn and Hershel on the sidelines, barking orders. There was no sound but she knew the looks that they were giving off.

Shawn could be a hot head, and when he was frustrated, he would run his fingers through his hair and pull on the ends. Her father would have a grimace on his face and shake his head when he was disappointed.

From her view of Daryl, it seemed he was getting tired, which she couldn’t blame him for. He was training hard for this upcoming fight and put in more hours than anyone else who worked here. It was afternoon and he was probably exhausted.

She felt bad for him but at the same time, that’s the life of a fighter. He had been with them for a very short amount of time and he was still getting used to the regime of a professional fighter. You had to put in long hours and daily workouts when you were training for a big fight like this.

She watched his moves, and fell into a trance. He was doing the same turning side kick over and over and it was making her mad watching him do it. He was getting angry and his work was getting sloppy now.

She thought that if she was going to see if Merle was right, this was her chance. She had witnessed him without her, and now she would go and pay them a visit.

His private gym area was secluded from the rest of the gym, to keep his mind focused and not be the center of attention for all the other members and fighters. She wanted to be as quiet as possible as she went through the door but of course it made quite the noise when closed.

Her eyes went straight to Daryl from the moment she entered the room and without even glancing her way, he knew she was there. She could tell he was getting his energy back and that his kicks had more power behind them. He was taking time to adjust his stance before kicking off and holding his arms in tighter to his body. Beth’s eyes skimmed over to Merle quickly, who was sitting in the corner watching and he stared back at her, with a shit eating grin plastered on his face.

Shawn stopped yelling and instead was cheering from the sideline, letting him know he was doing it finally. Beth watched as Daryl took more time and mastered the move that he was having difficulty with mere minutes ago. Her father took notice to her being in the room and gave a small nod, the smile coming back to his face, from the frustration that was clearly showing before.

She gave a small wave over to them and continued to watch Daryl spar in the ring. She watched him closely, trying to tell if he would lose it again, but he never did. Finally, Shawn called for a water break and Abe backed away. She kept her eyes trained on him and for the quickest of seconds, she caught his eyes looking back at her.

It was a quick moment, and he quickly looked away to grab his water bottle and towel from the corner, but she saw it. She couldn’t help but blush and she tried to hide her face from the others but it was too late, her father was on his way over.

“Seems to me, like you’re his good luck charm,” he said while coming to stand beside her. Beth coughed on her saliva from his statement. “He didn’t get that move down till you walked in the room. We’ve spent the past hour on it.”

“Maybe he finally just got it,” Beth suggested. Hershel could only huff in a chuckle.

“Maybe you’re right,” he agreed. They stayed in silence as the men had their break and Abe went onto the next thing they were going to go over.

“Think he’s ready, Dad?”

“He’s more than ready. But I think before a match and during a match are two different things. It’s gonna be something to watch for sure.” Hershel replied honestly.

“You worried?”

“No. I see a man who can hold his own. But your first fight is always your worst,” Hershel explained. “You don’t know what to expect, what the crowd will be like. It’s intimidating, even for the most confident of men. It’s daunting and you have a lot of pressure on you.”

Beth nodded her head in understanding. It was easy to see why her father gave such great advice. His life had been one experience after another and he always managed to take something away from every situation. After losing his leg in the accident, you would have thought he would have given up on fighting but he still stood here today, with experience and dignity.

“As long as he keeps his mind focused, then he’s gonna do his best.” Hershel said.

Beth took it all in and continued to watch Daryl. He moved flawlessly around the ring, hitting his punches and kicks in order and with force. Beth still didn’t believe what Merle had told her, it just didn’t compute into her head that she has anything to do with his fighting style. Regardless of their relationship, he fought for himself and Shawn. She had nothing to do with it.

At least she hoped she didn’t.


	11. Dixon vs. Smith

As it was customary before an official match, they decided to hold a press conference a few hours before the charity match began. Both fighters, along with their managers and other important people fielding questions from the media and special ticket holders and contest winners, were present.

Zach had done this numerous times before so he was able to spout off answers without even really thinking about it. He could relax in his chair and daydream and would still look like a champion.

Unlike his opponent, who looked down and barely spoke more than five words when prompted.

Daryl Dixon.

The protege of Shawn fucking Greene.

Whoever this guy is, didn’t matter. Zach knew he was gonna beat him today and nothing would get in his way. He was number one contender for the heavyweight championship and this guy wouldn’t be stopping him in any way.

Daryl was the new guy. And although he had Shawn Greene in his corner, it meant nothing. He wasn’t Shawn Greene. And that’s who he really wanted to be fighting.

He met the Greene family years ago when he was first introduced to UFC fighting. He idolized Shawn and everything he stood for. Zach knew that Shawn was one of the greatest fighters in the competition and to beat Shawn, would sky rocket Zach’ career in a heartbeat. So he followed Shawn’s every move and learned everything he could about him.

When Shawn became champion, it felt like everything was falling into place. Zach was moving up in the league, he began to have some smaller level sponsors and he was becoming famous. But when Shawn got into his accident, everything changed.

It became about Shawn and his recovery and would he ever fight again. The spotlight was falling off Zach and he didn’t like it one bit. So he started dating Shawn’s little sister Beth. Sure she was cute and would fall overself to please him but she was merely a pawn in his game to succeed. He made it seem that he was being there for the family and he started winning fights for the Greene family or Shawn specifically.

The media loved it.

Soon, everyone knew who he was and he was beginning to surpass Shawn’s notoriety. He became the up and comer who would be champion and he knew he could finally let go of the Greene family.

He started by dumping Beth and blaming it on them wanting two different things. Truth was, he was glad to have taken her virginity as another notch on his bed post, but frankly, she was dry in the bedroom. She had nothing to her and it was terrible to go through. Hence why he started sleeping with another girl in the meantime.

He had known Amy for awhile and she oozed sexuality. Yeah her boobs were fake but she knew how to work a man and enjoy herself. Once he dumped Beth, Amy wanted more commitment so of course he proposed to her. THe UFC loved the family dynamic of fighters and if you could have the picture perfect family, they were more than willing to help you out with your career.

Beth could have fit the bill as well but he didn’t feel like teaching her what sex was all about. Amy knew what she was doing and he could get his rocks off whenever, however and wherever he wanted.

He maintained the facade of being the caring ex-boyfriend and friend of Shawn Greene to make him look like the good guy. He was the one making the large donation to Shawn’s charity so he looked like the bigger person.

With Beth keeping out of the media and spotlight, she just seemed like the jealous ex who couldn’t handle being replaced by someone more beautiful and vivacious.

Maybe some would call him an asshole but he saw himself as an opportunist. His manager, Phillip Blake had told him from the get-go, you have to take chances to get yourself further and he did just that.

Fighting Dixon was gonna solidify his career. He'd beat him and show them all that he was better than anything Shawn Greene could produce. Then he would get his match against Martinez and he would become the next champion.

Then he would barely have to get out of bed and he would be making money.

Once the questions were over he and Daryl came around the table and stood beside one another as the announcer stated their stats. WIth Daryl being a newcomer, he didn’t have many, but Zach grinned large when they announced him. The crowd went wild and he lifted his arms up in the air to really rile up the crowd.

Generally, when you stand across from your opponent in a press conference for everyone to take your pictures, you’re sizing up the competition and intimidating them. Zach would take this time to break them down and find their weakness.

Maybe they had a slight limp in their leg or a swivel to their hip. When flexing their arm muscles for their pose, maybe you could see strain on their face.

Zach didn't see a thing wrong with Dixon.

The man was built and he had a few good inches over him. His face was solid and stone, not a single emotion on his face. He stared towards the back of the room and remained a statue while the cameras flashed.

It wasn’t until they faced each other that he finally saw a glimmer of something in the man's eyes.

Anger.

But why was he angry? He should be happy to be having his first fight, although it was an off the record fight. Dixon should have zero anger towards him and yet, he could see the fire behind his eyes. The need to hit him was there.

And it left Zach confused and worried.

* * *

 

The rest of the afternoon went by quickly but Zach barely noticed. His mind was reeling from the press conference and from what he saw in Dixon. The fire was burning bright in his eyes, like he had something to fight for.

Which, he guessed was his reputation at this point, with all eyes on Dixon tonight with his first match. But there was something else. It was the way his body tensed as he looked over Zach. His hands clenching and unclenching.

Zach had gotten his manager to pull up a video of that moment from online and Zach studied the body language of Daryl. His body seemed to stiffen and his feet were swaying. Like he wanted to give him a punch.

It was confusing and frustrating at the same time.

What did Daryl have against him? Shawn was a professional and would never let him personal feelings get in the way of a match. The only thing that family had to be angry about was Beth and frankly, she wasn’t the type of person who would open up to them about their relationship. She was quiet and reserved and she didn’t need to bring that shit up.

What was it then?

His manager Philip Blake saw the struggle and commented about Dixon as well.

“Man looks ready to tear you apart,” he spoke in his southern drawl. Zach agreed. Phillip understood and said he would find out whatever he could from the other camp. If there was one thing this man was worth, was finding out his opponent’s weaknesses.

About a half hour before the fight, Phillip came into the room with the official so that he would initial the tape and check the equipment before it was placed on. It was standard protocol and it was something Zach took seriously. He would never do anything like physically cheat in a match, he had seen too many people lose with that. Instead, he played with them mentally and it worked every time.

Once the official was happy with how things were, he left and Phillip asked for a few minutes alone with Zach. His medical team left, and Amy kissed him before going to find her seat. Phillip took a seat on the bench and patted the spot next to him. Zach took a seat and waited for Phillip to talk.

“Think I found your golden ticket with Dixon,” Philip proclaimed, grabbing his cell phone out of his jacket pocket. He pushed a few buttons and a video came up on the screen.

The sound was terrible, as it was recorded on another cell phone and there was a lot of noise going on in the background, but he saw both Dixons and the Greene family huddled in a circle, at the beginning of a prayer.

Hershel was a Christian man and believed that having God in your corner was what protected them in the ring from serious injury or harm. Zach had been a part of these prayer circles before but while they were speaking the words of the Lord, he was too busy picturing what sex position he could try with Amy that night.

Zach watched the screen, paying close attention to Dixon and waiting for something to happen. Like, a big neon sign pointing at exactly he was supposed to be looking at. He saw nothing out of the ordinary.

Beside Dixon was his brother Merle, and on the other side was Beth. She was holding hands with her father as he spoke. But it was the body language between Beth and Daryl that soon piqued his interest and it caught the cameraman’s interest too. The video started to zoom in on Beth and Daryl and their close proximity.

They were also pressed closely up to one another, shielding their hands from everyone else. He could even see Daryl’s thumb, rubbing up against Beth’s dainty hand. When the prayer was finished, and everyone started to let go, you could see her squeeze Daryl’s hand in reassurance and then they did let go.

Shawn ushered his sisters away for them to find their seats, and as they walked, the camera pointed directly to Daryl who kept his eyes trained on Beth the entire time.

The video ended and Zach looked up to Phillip with the biggest smile on his face.

“Gotcha.”

* * *

 

With the lights on the center ring, and the announcer going over the rules, Zach stared down Daryl with an intense gaze and a smirk on his face.

Daryl, on the other hand, was staring right back with aggression and hostility. Which only fueled Zach even more.

He knew exactly what was going to happen and he couldn't wait.

The second the bell rang, starting the first round, Daryl pounced and got a few good punches on Zach. He was expecting them and managed to cover his face from getting the brunt of the hit but it still hurt.

The man could throw a punch.

He managed to gather himself and pulled back into a fighting stance. He glared at Daryl who looked ready to get back into it.

“Gotta say, I'm impressed, Dixon,” Zach spoke through his mouth guard. “Was expecting you to fumble around a bit with nerves.”

“I’m full of surprises,” he replied as they danced around each other, waiting to make their move.

“That's true. In fact, I was surprised to hear about you and Beth,” Zach said and waited for Daryl to freeze up at the mention of the girl. He got what he was hoping for and got a few kicks on Daryl before he backed off.

It took a few moments for Daryl to get back into his stance and he looked even angrier than before.

“You don't talk about Beth!” he huffed, his breath becoming hard and labored.

“I'm surprised you’d want to be with someone like her. Girl was the worst lay I've ever had. But at least I can say that I tapped her first.” Zach said, giving a giant grin.

Daryl flew into a fit of rage and threw himself into Zach. They scrabbled on the floor for a minute, Daryl punching as hard as he could but Zach was waiting for this burst of energy and managed to reverse their positions.

Holding Daryl’s head between his arms, he wrapped his legs around his waist and held on tight. It was the guillotine move that Zach was most well known for and as he felt Daryl start to tire and panic from the pressure on his throat, Zach couldn’t help but get a few more words out to him.

“You’re nothing but a piece of shit, Dixon, you can’t beat me,” Zach spoke directly to Daryl. “I know it, the fans know it and now your team knows it.”

He felt Daryl tap his leg in submission and Zach let go. He spits out his mouthguard towards his corner and turned back towards Daryl, who was panting on the mat.

“Guys like me get girls like Beth. Not redneck trash like you,” he grinned, walking back to his corner to get congratulated by his team.

The crowd was cheering loudly for his win and Zach lifted his arms in victory. He looked back at Daryl who was being helped up by Shawn and the team medic.

He was proud.

He wanted to make an example of Dixon and he accomplished that. They didn’t even go a full round; showing what a newbie he truly was to the octagon.

He had brought Shawn down a couple pegs and he embarrassed the new guy. Life couldn’t get any better for Zach Smith.


	12. Forget It All

_Fighting For A Cause Charity Match_   
_Main Event_   
_Dixon vs. Smith_

_As the debut fight for our newcomer, we were expecting quite the bout between Dixon and Smith but I had barely touched the pen to paper when it was already over._

_Dixon was the first one to make a move and seemed in charge in the beginning but Smith got the upper hand before pulling him into submission._

_Dixon seemed to tire out after an onslaught of hits, which only allowed Smith to take advantage. In all, the match lasted about three minutes, forty-five seconds which is far less than what was boasted by Dixon’s team._

_Perhaps he needs a little more time in the practice ring before getting into a professional match._

* * *

 

Failure.

Loser.

Disappointment.

The words just kept repeating in Daryl’s head as he laid in bed.

It has been four days since his fight and he had been at home resting, as per Shawn’s orders, and all he managed to do was wallow in self-pity over his poor excuse of a fight.

“Couldn’t even go one round,” he’d mutter to the voice in his head, the one that was calling him names.

Merle had tried to speak to him but he wasn’t having any of it. He failed during his match. He let Zach get into his head and he had no one to blame but himself. After a shouting match back at their apartment, Merle had left him alone.

He felt defeated and alone, and he didn’t want to bother anyone. He had picked up the phone so many times and dialed Shawn’s number to quit but each time, he thought better of it.

He wasn’t a quitter, but he sure as hell felt like he was gonna stay at the bottom of the pack now. He was doubting his skills and his confidence was at an all-time low. He was almost waiting for Shawn to call him and say he was letting him go.

He was in a funk and he just wished that he could get out of it. He was waiting for the fog to lift but it remained, clouding his common sense from entering his mind. It aggravated him to no end, and he just fell deeper into the abyss because of it.

He was unsure what would happen next. Would people want to fight him? How long until he would get another match? Would he be seen as an easy target? Would people not want to even touch him now? It was confusing as hell.

And the worst part of it all, Zach had won.

He knew that he was up against a seasoned pro but they had plans in place, moves that would work, submission maneuvers. They had it all figured out. But the minute that asswipe mentioned Beth, he forgot everything else.

He remembered how upset Beth was that night in the bar. How she couldn’t believe how stupid she was to ever fall for a guy like Zach. How broken she felt afterwards.

He wanted to exact revenge on Zach for what he did to Beth but somehow Zach beat him to the punch, both figuratively and metaphorically.

His mind had been so focused on hurting Zach that he wasn't concentrating on what was really going on. Zach mentioned Beth and he lost it. Rage and anger clouded his mind and judgement and before he could get his head back on straight, it was all over and he was laying there embarrassed and hurt.

He had been hit before and been left battered and bruised but he never lost a fight. The other guy would be far worse than he was.

This time, Zach was out the next day with a fresh face and not a scratch on him. He had interviews and pictures taken but Merle shut the laptop down and hid it so Daryl would stop hurting himself even more.

He had tried to find Beth in the crowd but there were so many people around him, and his head felt so heavy and dizzy, that he couldn’t make her out. He wanted to see her reaction, to know if she had heard anything Zach had said. He wasn’t yelling it out, but it wasn’t quiet either.

He hadn’t seen Beth since and it both relieved and bothered him.

His mind had been overloaded the past few days and he was just tired of dealing with it. He had half a mind to jump on his bike and leave for a bit but that wasn't fair to anyone around him.

He heard a timid knock at his door and he barely glanced at it.

“Told you to leave me be, Merle,” he shouted from his bed.

“You better open this door, Daryl,” came Beth's voice, clearly sounding pissed.

“Go back to your brother and tell ‘im I’m fine,” he yelled through the door.

“It’s not just my brother worried about you, Daryl,” she proclaimed. “I also know how to pick a lock so you have a few minutes to get yourself presentable.”

Daryl wasn’t sure if she was kidding or not, but when he heard the doorknob jiggle, he took her seriously and got out of bed. He was wearing sweats and she had already seen him up close and personal so it really didn’t matter to him. He flicked the lock and walked back to his bed.

She opened the door cautiously, hoping that he was up but he was sitting on the edge of his bed, waiting to see what she wanted. She brought the cup from her side and gestured at him to take it.

“Eugene wants to make sure you’re getting your calories in, so….” she trailed off, still holding the drink in front of his face. He grabbed it, already feeling his stomach grumbling at the lack of food in the past few days and took a sip.

He made no effort to move from the bed so Beth came and sat down beside him. He could feel her eyes on his but he continued to look down at the floor. Having her here, beside him was doing nothing to boost his morale today. Frankly, it just bummed him out even more. He feared she knew that she was involved and what she was going to say about it.

“So is this pity fest gonna continue on much longer or you ready to get back in the ring?” she asked bluntly. He chuckled and almost choked on his smoothie.

“Going in for the kill, right off the bat. Thought you would ease me in with a pep talk or somethin’,” Daryl joked.

“Well, when you’ve had people calling and e-mailing you constantly, wanting to know how you are and if you have any comment on your match, you tend to get a little cranky.”

“Sorry you gotta deal with that,” his shoulders slumped at his apology. There was a lot he wanted to apologize for but he didn’t know where to start.

“Daryl Dixon,” she spoke up, getting off the bed and standing in front of him, “I do not want to hear how sorry you are for anything! You have nothing to be sorry for!” He opened his mouth to speak but she quickly shut him up.

“You will not speak, you will listen to me.” She spoke sternly, but he chose to keep his head down. Not getting a response from him, she sank down on her knees in front of him and lifted his chin up with her hands, “Understand?”.

He nodded his head.

“I know he said something to you, and I don’t know what it was, but that’s what he does. He says something that gets in your head that goes off like an explosion. It makes you forget everything you’ve trained for and it gets you angry.” Beth explained. Daryl opened his mouth but Beth shut it again with the hand that was under his chin.

“He uses these tactics because he doesn’t want to have to work hard. He’s lazy and he wants these matches over with as soon as possible. You are a great fighter, and if you just ignore the nonsense he spouts, you’re gonna beat him next time.” Daryl, having enough of listening, took her wrist and moved it away from his face.

“I’m never gonna get a rematch with him.”

“Yes you are!” Beth exclaimed. “I will not take no for an answer! You will train, and get back in the ring and one day you will beat him.”

Daryl got angry and stood up from the bed.“If I ever face that guy again, I’m just gonna get pissed and do the same thing again. In the ring or not.” He was angry and Beth could sense the frustration coming off of him. She looked at him, her eyes narrowing, trying to figure something out.

“What did he say to you?” she asked quietly. He looked down but she grabbed his hand and held it in hers. “What did he say to you?” she asked again. He looked into her eyes, and they were filled with genuine concern.

“He knew something was going on between us. Said some shit about you, said I didn’t deserve you or my career,” he admitted. She could tell it pained him to say this and she took the hand she was holding, and brought it to her lips and placed a gentle kiss on the back.

“Well Zach is full of shit so I know that’s not true,” she spoke genuinely. “You do deserve this, and you do deserve me,” she whispered the last part. He took his hand back slowly and rubbed the part she had kissed with his other hand.

It still tingled from the touch of her lips.

“I’m the laughing stock of the league,”

“You have a clean slate still. This match meant nothing on the books.”

“But my job is to win.”

“No, your job is to fight, win or lose,” she rebutted. “Shawn doesn’t care if you lose every one of your matches. He wants to see you fight. Because we all know you have heart and a fire in you. You always give a hundred percent of yourself.”

“But I needed to beat him!” Daryl yelled.

“No, you didn’t. You chose to!” She yelled back. Daryl was taken back by how loud she had gotten and agitated she was. Her breathing had picked up and her chest was heaving.  
“I’m a big girl, Daryl, you don’t need to fight my battles.”

“I wasn’t gonna let him talk about you like that, Beth. You deserve more than that!” Beth sighed at Daryl’s confession and looked away from him.

After a few minutes of silence, and him waiting for her to speak, she finally looked back at him.

“You need to be at the gym tomorrow morning at eight,” she spoke flatly. “Shawn and my dad are gonna go over the tape with you and then make up a game plan.” She started leaving his room when she stopped at the door, but didn’t look back.

“We can’t keep doing this, Daryl. I can’t have you fighting because of us,” she choked back, clearly trying to hold off from crying. “You need to fight for yourself and I need to stop being a distraction to you,” She left his room and a few moments later, he heard the apartment door open and close.

He stepped back and sat down on his bed. He had half a mind to just lay back down and forget the world but he knew that wasn't gonna help him at all.

Her words rang in his head, how she was essentially giving up on him and them. It wasn’t what he wanted but maybe it was for the best. He lost this match because he was trying to fight for her honor. He lost his mind with rage when Zach started talking about her.  
Maybe she was right, that this wasn’t worth it anymore. Why bother having a relationship when you were constantly worrying about them and their feelings and reputation. They would just be used as a target for their opponent and for him, Beth was his biggest weakness.

Zach had probably already started spreading the gossip around, on how to beat Daryl Dixon. Just mention Beth Greene and you’ll win!

He had worked so hard to get to this point; never having a weakness for his opponent to exploit. Now, he had a big one and he would never amount to anything if continued to feel things for her.

He needed to forget her if he ever wanted to make something of himself.


	13. Listen To My Words

_Breaking News!_

_UFC has just announced it’s lineup for UFC 340 in Seoul, South Korea and we are finally having the Heavyweight Championship match we’ve been waiting for._

_Zach Smith (14-2-1) vs. Caesar Martinez (20-4-1) will be our main event for the night and with Smith’s recent wins, there is speculation in the bullpen that he may take Martinez down._

_Smith has made it abundantly clear that he wishes to win the title, saying “I’ve put in the time and effort and I’m ready to be the champion.”_

_Martinez has held the championship for over ten months and isn’t looking to let it go. “I’m excited to be facing Zach but that boy needs to know that the belt belongs to a real fighter, and that’s where it’s going to stay.”_

_Both camps are already setting up their training regimens with Smith giving fan club members a sneak peek into his gym. Included with their $400/ yearly membership, fans can get access to his training gym and watch him and his coaches in the ring._

_We’ll see if this pays off in the end._

* * *

 

It had been two weeks since Daryl’s loss at the charity match, and he was now back in the ring, with a fury Hershel had never seen before. He put in more hours than Shawn could put up with and more than one time, had Shawn threatened to lock him out if he didn’t go home already.

It seemed Daryl just wanted to train, and he refused to take days off. Even when he was at home, Merle would say he was either sleeping, eating or training, nothing else.

At first he thought it was losing that set him off on this rampage but after a week, he was still maintaining the hard rhythm. He was tired, and was starting to look unhealthy. Eugene was trying to supplement him with extra calories and protein but Daryl just never stopped.

They had all been trying to get it through his head that he needed to slow down but he paid no attention to them. He continued at his brutal pace of working out and unless they used brute force, they couldn’t stop him.

Hershel had maintained his distance, letting Shawn handle his talent but he felt it was time for him to interfere. Perhaps a father figure would help Daryl see the damage he was doing to himself, rather than his trainer and boss.

He could see some parts of himself in Daryl, back in his younger years of boxing. He had the drive and determination but also dealing with his own demons from his childhood. He got into boxing as an outlet to vent his frustrations and deal with his anger issues. He was also drinking a lot at that point in his life.

He didn’t want to listen to anyone around him, he was working hard to make a name for himself. It was only when he passed out one night, and woke up the next morning to find out he missed an important match, did he start to get his act together.

He wanted to get Daryl’s head straight before things got much worse. But he needed to deal with something just as important first.

His daughter.

Beth had been acting off for the past two weeks and it was bothering Hershel and Maggie. She worked from home as much as she could, and came in only when necessary. She would get her work done and then head home.

Maggie called her numerous times and Beth insisted that she was okay. Hershel popped by her apartment a couple times to check on her and she would entertain him but there was a sadness to her that he couldn’t ignore.

It was hard to pinpoint what exactly it was but Hershel had an inclination to what it could be. He didn’t want to outright ask her incase he was wrong, but he was hoping he could tiptoe around the subject and that she would bring it up.

He had called her to say he needed her in the office for a bit, that he wanted to talk to her about an upcoming amateur match for one of their other fighters. It was all a ruse and he was gonna pull the ole father / daughter talk on her. He had enough trying to deal with Daryl, he actually had some say in his daughter’s life and hopefully he could help her out.

He hobbled his way up to his daughter’s office, sitting in the chair across from hers. She hadn’t arrived yet but was due to in the next few minutes. It took him time to get around since he lost his leg, and even though quite some time had passed, he was an old man and it just took him a little longer to do things now.

As he sat in the chair, he rolled up his pant leg and rubbed at his leg muscle. They amputated right above the knee so he still had a partial stump for a leg, that would attach to his prosthetic. If he was on his feet too long, the muscle would start to hurt and he would need to sit down and let the swelling down.

It was times like this he wished his sweet Annette was still around cause she would be babying him to no end about it. He had come to terms with her death long ago but would still have moments, like this, where he wished she would walk in the room.

“Your leg botherin’ you Daddy?” Beth asked as she walked into her office. Hershel didn’t look up, just kept his eyes focused on his leg and rolling his pant leg back down.

“Close the door please, Bethie,” he asked solemnly. She giggled and did as he asked.

“Am I in trouble?” she joked, with a grin on her face.

“No, unless you got something you wanna tell me?” he chuckled back. She smiled and sat across from her father. She grabbed her notebook from her desk drawer and a pen from it’s holder.

“So, which fighter were you thinking about for this match-up?” she asked, looking down at her paper, ready to write.

“Actually, I wanted to discuss something else with you first,” he stated, leaning back in his chair to get comfortable.

“Sure,” Beth smiled, setting her pen down.

“I’ve been worried about you lately,” he started, taking a breath, “You’ve seemed a little off the past few weeks.”

She smiled but Hershel could tell that it wasn’t genuine. She usually had a toothy smile but this looked almost like a forced grimace.

“I’m fine Daddy, just got a lot of stuff going on here,” she replied,

“I worry about you doodlebug. If this is becoming too much work for you, then we can always look into getting you help.”

“Work is fine dad. It’s keeping me occupied,”she said. Hershel looked at her, trying to decipher her words. Keeping her occupied….from what?

“You’ve been closed off during this time. Not spending time with your friends or your family unless we show up.”

“I’ve just had a lot on my mind lately,” she clarified.

“Do I dare ask if it’s because of Zach? Because this seemed to start after his match with Daryl,” he questioned, grimacing from the thought that it possibly could be.

“No, it’s not Zach.” Beth blushed, not looking her father in the eye. He sighed, knowing that he was on the right track this time.

“Just checkin’,” Hershel blew out the breath he was holding. “I may be your dad, but I still got two good ears to listen,” Beth smiled and Hershel felt like it was a genuine smile from her this time. She sighed and leaned back in her chair.

“I’m just dealing with emotional issues. Ever since Zach, I’ve been questioning myself as a girlfriend. Just beats down my confidence, you know.”

“You, my dear, are better than Zach Smith, and after the way he treated you and this family, he has surely proved that he never deserved you,” Hershel pointed out to her.

“I know. It’s just hard to find a decent man out there when you’re debating if you’re the right choice for them. Are you a gift or a distraction?”

“Any man would be lucky to have you in their life.”

“But what if I’m the problem?”

“Why would you be a problem?” he asked, confused.

“I don’t know what I’m saying,” Beth quickly covered up her tracks but it certainly put some thoughts in Hershel's head.

“Don’t doubt yourself, Bethie. Zach may have pulled the wool over your eyes but you rose up from that mess and became a better person because of it. You have a trusting heart and he used that against you. If a man wants to be with you, he’s gonna fight for you.”

“I don’t want to be fought for. I’m not a trophy.”

“It’s not a competition, Beth. If someone cares enough about you, they are going to put themselves on the line and show you that you are worth it. That’s what a relationship is, when your aren’t working as partners, you’re fighting to keep it going.”

“I just don’t know if I’m worth fighting for.”

“A worthy man will make you see that you are worth it,” he replied. Beth smiled again and he could see her eyes starting to water slightly.

“I think I really needed to hear that,” she spoke softly. “Thank you Daddy,”

“You’re welcome, doodlebug,.” he replied. “How about you take the rest of the day off and go relax. I think you need some time to yourself to think things over.” With that, Hershel stood up, with the help of his cane and started walking to her office door.

“But what about this amateur match you were talking about?” she asked confused. Hershel just looked back and smiled, and left her office without another word.

“One down, one to go,” he whispered to himself. He walked down the stairs and could see that Abraham and Shawn were cleaning up after their training with Daryl. They looked exhausted and ready to call it a day. Hershel was glad that they got Daryl to quit too. He bypassed them with a slight head nod and made his way over to Daryl’s private locker room.

Hershel knocked on the door and heard Daryl call out, “It’s open,” before turning the unlocked door handle and walking slowly into the room. He saw Daryl putting his gloves and boots away in his locker before going for his shower.

“You’ve been workin’ hard lately,” Hershel said, “Maybe a little too hard.”

Daryl rolled his eyes and closed the locker door. “I’m just doing what I should have been doing from the beginnin’,”

“No, what you were doing before was just fine, now you are just trying to forget your problems and hide it in your training.”

“No offense, Hershel, but I don’t need a therapist.” Daryl stated.

“No, but you need someone to tell you that you’re gonna kill yourself if you keep this pace up,” Hershel’s voice rose.

“I’ve already had Shawn on my back about it, I don’t need…”

“Boy, sit down and listen to this old man,” Daryl sensed the tone in Hershel’s voice and sat down on the bench immediately, looking away from him.

“I know exactly what it’s like in your shoes, I’ve been there. You can’t keep doin’ this to yourself cause it ain’t healthy,” he stated. “You lost your first match, it isn’t the end of the world. But instead of hiding you need to talk about it.”

“So you want me to come to you guys every time I’m in a foul mood,” Daryl barked.

“Me, Shawn, Abraham,” Hershel said with a pause, “Beth.” He saw Daryl’s head whip around to look him in the eyes in confusion. “I lost my leg, not my eyesight. You two are more obvious than you think,” Daryl sighed and hunched his shoulders, keeping quiet.

“I just had a talkin’ with Beth and even though she never called you by name, I was able to put two and two together. I figure she’s a part of reason you lost to Zach.”

“You should have heard what he was sayin’ about her,” Daryl stood up and turned around to face Hershel. “She’s the sweetest thing in Georgia and the things he said about her, the way he treated her, he needed to get his ass handed to him.” The rage seemed to roll off of him as he ranted.

“So you were trying to impress her by beating Zach?” Hershel questioned him, keeping a calm demeanor.

“No. I just wanted to show her...I dunno,” Daryl lamented.

“I think you’re both confused about things and you need to talk to work this out, whatever it is between you.”

“She thinks she’s distractin’ me. She don’t want to be with me,” Daryl said sadly.

“I was lucky enough to have a woman in my corner during my prime, and she was the reason I kept fighting. Not to impress her, but to prove to her that she made the right choice being with me. I fought inside and outside the ring to keep our relationship going and I never saw her as a distraction, she was my inspiration.” Hershel admitted.

Daryl looked over at the oldest Greene and nodded his head in understanding.

“If there is one thing that Beth got from her mother, it’s raging stubbornness. Once they set their mind on something, it’s hard to change it.” Hershel explained. “They need time and space sometimes, just like we do, but you never stop fighting for them. A good partner is what gets you through the hard times and lets you enjoy the good times.”

Daryl was silent for a few moments, taking in what Hershel had just said. He took the quietness as a good sign as Daryl was always one to contemplate things before making a decision. Another quality that Hershel admired about the man in front of him.

“Watching you two before, you seemed to bring out the best in each other. You fought better, worked hard, and she got her smile back. It seemed like you both came into each other’s lives at the perfect time, almost like fate,” Hershel spoke. “And if there is one thing I know son, you can’t fight fate. You just have to take it head on.”

Daryl looked over at Hershel, waiting for him to say more, but Hershel felt he had said enough. He figured he had gotten into Daryl’s head and would allow him to make the next move. He nodded his head and walked to the locker room door.

He left without another word but he stood outside for a few moments to let these conversations sink in a bit. He basically told Daryl that he needed to fight and win his daughter’s heart, which is something he was scared about since her heartbreak from Zach.

But there was nothing inside his chest but joy, knowing that if he succeeded, Beth and Daryl would be a good match and they would both treat each other with the utmost respect and love.

It reminded him again of his second wife, Annette, and their relationship. How their love for one another got each other through all the difficulties of marriage and life. His only hope was that Beth would see the good man in front of her and let fate take the reigns of her life.


	14. Fight For Us

After she had left the gym, and had the talk with her father, Beth went home to have a soak in the tub. She had a lot to think about and the bath was one of her favorite places to relax and think. She tied up her hair into a messy bun on top of her head and sank into the warm water.

What her father said was true. Zach took advantage of her kindness and broke her heart into a million pieces. She had put them back together quite quickly, but then Daryl came along and cracked it open once again.

She felt something strong for him, that much was true. Their chemistry was undeniable, and if it were any other scenario, she would be with him right now. But she knew why she couldn’t.

She didn’t need the drama that came with dating a fighter. 

She bent to every whim of Zach’s; being there when he needed her and giving him space when he didn’t. She did everything she could to please him, and she still got screwed over in the end. 

She knew Daryl was completely different but it was still the same situation. And with his failed first match, she knew that she was a huge part of why he lost. She was distracting him from his true goals of being a top fighter and she couldn’t do that to him or herself.

She needed someone who wouldn’t blame her for losing matches, or not spending enough time training. She wasn’t a needy person but she wanted a partner who would be there for her when she needed them. It wasn’t much to ask, and Beth could never ask that of Daryl, no matter how much she wanted to.

The bath was getting cold so she slipped out and wrapped the towel around her. It was about supper time and she wasn’t planning on going out tonight, as per usual, so she changed into some pajama shorts and tank top.

She was feeling hungry so she got some leftovers from the night before, a chicken kiev she had made herself, and warmed it up in the microwave. It was a typical night in for her; eating alone, watching tv and going to bed early. It had become her routine for the past few weeks and it was starting to annoy her.

She was twenty-four years old for crying out loud. She should be out there and having fun but here she was, acting like a ninety year old who had given up on life. 

By the time she finished eating, she was already craving a bottle of wine to drown her sorrows. She was lonely and she didn’t want to burden anyone with her problems, especially since she couldn’t tell anyone about why she was really upset and maybe she just wanted to numb her heart for a little bit.

It wasn’t the best idea but nothing else was coming to mind.

She then heard a faint knock on her door. It was odd considering she needed to buzz guests up from the front door. She figured it was probably a neighbor or something, although, she hadn’t really talked to them since she moved in here so it was still confusing her. She went to the door and opened it and was shocked to see who was on the other side.

Daryl.

He was leaning against the door jam, his jeans and a simple black t-shirt on. He had his leather jacket and helmet. She couldn’t really tell what emotions he was feeling and it left her worried. She continued to look at him, not quite sure what to say to him.

“I talked to your dad today. Got me thinkin’ ‘bout things,” he spoke softly, looking her in the eye. 

“About what?” she asked.

“Can I come in?” he answered back to her. “Don’t really need the neighbors hearing this.” She nodded and stepped back so he could step in. She closed the door after him and turned back around to him. She stood with her arms crossed over her chest, waiting for him to explain himself.

“You and I need to talk and figure this out between us,” he motioned with his finger between the two of them. 

“I thought we decided not to do this,” she replied.

“No, you decided,” he spoke with more tone to his voice. “I only agreed ‘cause I thought you were right.”

“So I’m wrong then?” she asked, confused. 

“You never gave us a chance, Beth. You thought it was best but I don’t think it is.”

“I think it’s abundantly clear now that I was right. You lost your match because of me, you said it yourself.”

“I was thinkin of you during that match!” he yelled. “I wanted you to be proud of me and know that I’m not Zach.”

“I know you aren’t Zach.”

“Well you sure do treat me like him,” he bit out.

“Excuse me,” she said angrily.

“You think just cause I’m a fighter that I’m gonna be just like him but you should know that I’m nothing like him.” He raised his voice again. “I respect you and care about you enough that I wasn’t gonna let him talk bad about you. I got my ass beat because you deserve to be fought for.”

“Why do you need to fight for me?” she yelled back.

“I’m fighting for us!” he roared, causing Beth to become silent. “I want you to be in my corner and cheer me on. I want to know that you’re there for me and no one else. The next time I face Zach, I want him to be jealous of me, because I have you. Not because I’m jealous of him already having you!”

Beth could feel the tears start to prickle in her eyes. She was stunned at his admission. “Is that why you got mad?” she whispered, enunciating every word. Daryl nodded.

“I’m better with you, Beth,” he spoke quietly. “Your dad made me realise that a man is only as good as the woman beside him.”

Beth sighed in joy and could feel a tear escape her eye. Daryl had put himself and his feelings out there and was waiting for her to say something. She uncrossed her arms and closed the gap between them, grasping his head in her hands and kissing him. 

She felt his hands come to her hips and pull her towards him, but she pulled her face back from him. “I wanna be yours, no one else's,” she whispered, looking him in the eye. She could see his mouth turn into a grin and his left hand moved from her hip to the back of her head to pull her in for a kiss again. 

It seemed that the weeks of pent up frustration and longing had caught up to them and they let it loose. Their kiss escalated quickly, with their hands grasping onto the other as if they would float away.

Beth was pressed up against him so tightly, she could feel his growing erection against her stomach. Her breasts were pushed up against his chest, her chest heaving from excitement and lack of breath.

They eventually pulled away to breathe but Daryl quickly latched onto her neck, kissing and nipping at the skin. Beth's back arched from the sensation and a moan left her mouth. Daryl’s hand moved from her head to her neck, holding her in place as he continued his ministrations.

“Bedroom,” Beth whispered into the air, her hands grabbing his hair to pull him back to her lips. It seemed Daryl was just as eager as Beth. He resumed kissing her mouth and moved both hands to her hips to pull her up and against him.

He remembered the layout of her apartment and quickly navigated them to her bedroom, depositing her onto the bed. He stood up and removed his shirt, never once taking his eyes off her.

She bit her lip in anticipation, which seemed to spur him on. He slowly crept onto the bed on his hands and knees, bowing his head down to kiss the exposed flesh of her stomach. She giggled at the sensation of his beard on her skin and could feel a grin on his mouth as it continued to kiss upwards. 

He knelt above her, kissing her stomach, with his hands slowly bringing her tank top up. He cupped her breasts, grabbing them in each hand to give a hard squeeze.

Beth was never more thankful to have not worn a bra that evening.

Once her top had been pulled above her chest, Daryl's mouth moved to her nipples, pulling each one into his mouth and sucking lightly. Beth couldn't help but whine in pleasure as he continued to take turns between each one.

Beth could feel her body heat rise and suddenly her clothes were too much. She reached with her outstretched arms to her top and finished taking it off her body. She threw it across the room, not giving a second thought to where it landed.

Daryl finally arrived back at her face, after kiSsing every inch of her chest and collar. He looked deep in her eyes and brushed some hair out of her face.

“Really wanna take my time wit you but I don't think I can,” he drawled out with a low voice.

“Fuck me now. We can take our time later, “ Beth breathed heavily, biting his bottom lip and grinding up towards his erection.

“Fuck your mouth turns me on,” Daryl said before kissing her hard on the lips. 

He pressed his body into hers, pushing her deeper into the mattress. They were both shirtless, and their bottoms were grinding upon one another. Beth could feel the wetness start to seep out onto her panties and she was sure that soon enough, they would soak through her tiny sleep shorts.

She used all her strength to push Daryl back, earning her a confused glare from him. She sat up, hooked her fingers under her shorts and panties and began to push them down. He soon guessed what she was doing and took over for her, removing them the rest of the way.

Rather than take his own pants off, he grabbed both of her legs and hoisted them over his shoulders. Before she could question him, he sunk his mouth deep into her cunt, which caused her to scream out. She fell back on the bed and gripped the comforter underneath her, as he continued to suck and nip at her aching clit. 

It didn’t take long for the pressure to start to build, and for her release to come. She was right on the tip of falling over and she begged Daryl to push her over the edge.

“Oh my god! Please don’t stop…” she pleaded, her head thrashing from side to side. He moaned into her, which sent vibrations straight through to her core. “Fuck,” she cried out as her orgasm finally hit her. 

He didn’t let up as he continued licking her through the trembles of her body. Her legs tightened around his head, which only seemed to spur him on further. She was barely past her first one when a second one seemed to come rolling through her. She was so overly sensitive, with his mouth attached to her clit and the way he moved his jaw around, causing the little hairs to stimulate her opening. 

“Daryl, please stop,” she moaned out, barely able to catch her breath. “I need you in me…..please,” she whined. 

His kisses slowed and he kissed her outer thighs, grabbing some of her wetness, as he kissed. He unhooked her legs from his head and crawled up her body till they were face to face.

“Gotta say please,” he smirked. She responded by kissing him hard and pulling at the belt of his pants. 

“Please,” she asked seductively, licking her lips and tasting herself. He leaned up once and got off the bed. After he undid his belt and the zipper of his jeans, he remembered the condom in his wallet and pulled it out. He threw it beside Beth, who was currently repositioning herself higher on the bed. He pulled his pants and boxers down in one swoop and stalked up the bed again, not giving Beth a chance to say a word before he kissed her.

They continued to grind on one another, their hands roaming against their naked bodies. Daryl finally had enough and grabbed the condom, sitting up to put it on. 

“I’m gonna go and get tested so we can get rid of those things as soon as possible,” she admitted. Daryl just smirked and laid down back on top of her.

“Can’t wait. Need to feel this tight pussy.” he replied, sticking two fingers inside of her to get her juices flowing again. She moaned, pulling her legs up as he slowly pumped them. 

He removed them after a few more pumps and smeared her juices over the condom, to make this next part easier. Beth was waiting in anticipation. Daryl lined up his sheathed cock and pushed towards Beth’s center. He moved slowly, letting her feel every inch of him as he pushed forward. Her opening clenched every few seconds, her body wanting to pull him in and never let him go.

Once he was fully in, he grabbed one of her legs and pulled it over his arm, allowing him to sink deeper into her. She gasped at how much pleasure she could feel from this position.

“God I missed this,” he rasped out. He stayed put as he let them both take a few breaths to calm themselves.

“This is ten times better than my vibrator,” she replied with a breathy moan. He chuckled at her admission.

“Guess I’ll have to watch you use it one day to see for myself,” he admitted which caused lust to fill Beth’s eyes and heat to flood her pussy. She pulled him closer and started pushing her hips forward to get him going.

He started pumping slowly, teasing Beth who had been so close to another orgasm minutes before. 

“Faster...harder,” she panted out, already feeling it start to build once again. 

“Don’t wanna blow my load too early, darlin’,” he breathed out heavily. She could see him trying to control himself but she didn’t want control. She wanted him to let loose and plow her.

“Don’t care. Need you to fuck me hard,” she replied, kissing him fully on the mouth. She grabbed him by the ass cheeks and dug her nails into him. He reared forward with such force, she felt his entire body push her into the mattress. He pulled himself to his knees and allowed her legs to drop. He pulled her up by the hips and pulled her up so her bottom was laying on his legs. 

He started pulling her body towards him with each thrust, pushing into her with every pull. “This what you wanted, sweetheart?” he asked, continuing his punishing pace. She moaned out in response, not sure if she could even speak now. She pushed against her headboard to give her leverage so she could push back against him.

She felt the tell tale signs of her approaching orgasm and she kept the pace going. She was so overcome with pleasure that she couldn’t form words so her mouth kept spilling moans and whines. She was urging him on and he knew what she needed.

“Gonna cum pretty girl?” he asked, already knowing the answer. She nodded her head yes and she bit into the pillow beside her head. “Gonna get my dick so wet.” 

His words spurred her on and she needed no additional stimulation to get her to her third orgasm of the night. She screamed so loud, she was sure that her neighbors were going to complain. Not that she cared because this was the strongest orgasm she had ever had.

It didn’t take him long afterwards to hit his own, as he called out her name with a loud roar. He thrusted a few more times as he came down from his release and fell on top of Beth lightly. They were both panting heavily and sticky from the sweat that had attached to their bodies.

He pulled away from her to dispose of the condom beside her bed and grabbed her body to bring it close to him. 

“So good,” she breathed out, as she cuddled into his chest. His arms wrapped around her body and held her as close as possible. He kissed her head and sighed.

“We’re so good,” he replied back. She giggled and kissed his collarbone. They lay in silence for a few minutes, just listening to their breaths calm down once again. 

Beth thought about how everything how changed now and how hard they were going to have to work to keep their relationship strong. They had Zach breathing down their necks and Daryl’s career to worry about but at this moment she just didn’t care. She was happy and content, and very much sated from the activities that she just felt blissful. 

He wanted her as much as she wanted him, they had amazing chemistry both in and out of the bedroom and she could see herself with him for the long haul. It wasn’t scary in the slightest and she wondered why she was so against this in the beginning. 

This felt natural and organic, like it was meant to be and she would have to thank her father for putting her doubts to rest and really allowing herself to think about what she wanted. Daryl was going to fight for them and she would do the same. 

She had Daryl now and she wasn’t going to let him go.


	15. The Kitchen Table

Daryl has been awake for an hour now, slowly stroking Beth’s hair as she slept with her head on his chest. It was still early morning and with the lack of sleep he had been getting the past few weeks, he was glad that he had a good night’s rest the night before.

They had sex and then talked after. It was probably the most intimate and open he had ever been with anyone in his entire life. They had lain in bed, only a sheet covering their naked bodies and spoken about everything. He was finally able to admit his true feeling for her, how hard it was to be away from her and how much he wanted to be with her.

She admitted that she was wrong and they should have been able to figure something out between them before, but Zach had left such a bitter taste in her mouth, that she didn’t want to put her heart on the line again.

They comforted each other and spoke from the heart and Daryl felt the weight being pulled off of each of them. They connected on such a deep level that after they finished talking, he made love to her. As bullshit as the statement was to him, he finally understood it.

He took his time and kissed every part of her body. He took care of her and brought her to orgasm several times. It felt so different from any other sexual encounter he’d had before and he swore he saw a tear in her eye as they lay together afterwards.

He had never been in love with a woman before but he felt that he was well on his way with Beth.

As they lay here now, Daryl could only think about their future.

Their future.

Because Beth was a part of his future and nothing would change that. He loved what he knew about her already and couldn’t wait to learn more. He had already thought about taking her out on an official date this week, and was thinking about a few afterwards.

His fighting career was another thing he wanted to focus on and with her by his side, he felt the confidence in his skills grow again. She was by his side and believed in him so what more could he ask for?

Her father already knew that something was between them and Daryl felt he owed it to the man to tell him face to face. He wouldn’t go into detail of how they originally met but he would point out that it was a long time coming. He had a good relationship with Hershel and he didn’t want to screw that up by not being “honest” with him.

Their siblings were another story. Maggie and Merle probably wouldn’t care too much, maybe give him a little grief about it but he was prepared for some friendly teasing. Shawn was harder to pinpoint. He had made it clear from the get go that Beth wasn’t to be messed with, but that was pointed towards Merle. He was closer in age to Beth but he still had a good ten years on the girl so Shawn probably wouldn’t be their biggest fan.

If Hershel noticed their chemistry, could Shawn have noticed too? Wouldn’t he have said something about it then? He and Shawn were pretty open to one another so Daryl expected that he would ream Daryl out if he didn’t approve.

Maybe Shawn wouldn’t care at all then? Although, Daryl didn’t really care what Shawn thought at the end of the day.

When he was a fighter, Shawn was in control. What Daryl did in his personal time was not of Shawn’s concern. He was still eating properly and not drinking (much) and had quit smoking. So he wasn’t doing anything wrong, except sleeping with his boss’ sister.

“What time is it?” Beth whispered. He was so deep in thought, he hadn’t noticed her start to stir. She had yet to open her eyes and her voice was laced with sleep still.

“‘Bout seven I think,” he replied, kissing her lightly on the head.

“I forgot what an early riser you are.” She opened her eyes and propped her head up on his chest so she could look at him. “You can get up if you want,” She started to move away from him. He moved his hand from her hair to her back to hold her in place.

“I like just layin here,” he said. She smiled and kissed his lips gently. She curled up to him again and closed her eyes.

* * *

 

It was quite a few hours, and a steamy shower for two later that they finally got themselves dressed and in the kitchen to cook some food. Beth was buttering some toast while Daryl was working on some fried eggs.

He knew he should head home and get his meals from his own fridge, as they are specially designed for him but he wanted to do something domestic with Beth. Sleeping in the same bed and sharing a shower was one thing, but sitting down and eating as a couple was something else entirely.

And he was only planning on eating the eggs and bacon so it was just added protein, he mused to himself.

Beth had made coffee and as much as he wanted some, he knew he shouldn’t. He would stick to water and then fill up on a protein shake and milk later.

“Does it feel weird to not be at the gym?” Beth asked, as they sat across from each other at her small table.

“Lil bit,” he replied, biting on some bacon. “Used it to take my mind off of everythin’.”

“I admit, I was hiding from you so I worked from home as much as possible,” Beth spoke shyly.

“Aren’t we the pair?” he chuckled. She smiled back and resumed eating her breakfast.

There was a succession of knocks on her door and they both turned towards it, wondering who it could be. They looked at each other in confusion. Beth got up and went to answer it.

As Beth opened the door, Shawn quickly busted through, looking at Beth in a panic.

“Do you know where Daryl is? He isn’t at the gym and he isn’t at home,” he breathed out in one breath. He was panicked and looked like he had been running around. Beth was a little taken back by his demeanor and merely pointed at her kitchen where Daryl still sat.

Shawn breathed a sigh of relief and walked into the apartment more. He smiled and went to sit next to Daryl at the table.

“Sorry man, I was just worried when you weren’t there today.” Shawn chuckled. “I mean I’m glad you’re takin’ a day off but when even Merle didn’t know where you were I started to panic.”

“I get it,” Daryl replied with a smirk.

“Do you want some breakfast, Shawn?” Beth asked, as she sat down at the table once again.

“Nah, I had some a couple hours ago,” he replied. He sat back in his chair and took in the scene. Daryl could see the wheels turning in his head and began to wonder just how much he would figure out without them saying anything.

He kept looking between them as they ate and it felt like Shawn was trying to decipher the clues. Daryl knew that his and Beth’s wet hair might be a dead giveaway but he was kinda hoping that Shawn wouldn’t bring it up.

All of a sudden, Shawn let out a laugh and ducked his head in embarrassment. Daryl looked at Beth who looked scared.

“So you two are finally making a go of this?” Shawn asked with a grin. Daryl sighed, knowing they were busted.

“Yeah, we are,” Beth replied, giving Daryl a smile. She seemed to have let go of the nerves she was feeling as she seemed more relaxed now.

“You sure you wanna get with another fighter, Beth?” Shawn looked directly at her and Daryl could only imagine what message he was trying to convey.

“Daryl is the exact opposite of Zach. I’m not concerned in the least bit,” Beth admitted. Daryl grinned at that. He knew that Zach was always gonna be a sore subject in their family and to know that he was better than Zach filled him with a sense of pride.

“Good,” Shawn said satisfied. “Better not distract him at the gym though,” Shawn said getting up. “I don’t wanna catch you two in a dark corner.”

“No promises,” Beth laughed out. Shawn gave them both a little wave and took his leave. Beth smiled at Daryl. “That went better than I thought,”

Daryl chuckled. “Don’t think he’s finished talking to me,” Beth looked at him confused. “He’s gonna wait for me by my bike downstairs, seeing how long I take with you up here. Then he’s gonna give me the brotherly pep talk.”

“How do you know that?” Beth grinned, holding back a laugh.

“Cause that’s what I would do if I had a little sister,” Daryl said getting up from his spot. He made his way over to Beth and kissed her on the head. “I’ll pick you up at five tonight,” he spoke quietly. She looked up at him and smiled, which he returned. He was excited to be taking her out for dinner tonight on their first official date. It was his first date in a long time as well.

He took his leave after a few more kisses with her and readied himself to be interrogated by the older brother. Sure enough, like he thought, Shawn was waiting for him by his bike, his arms crossed and a stern look on his face. Daryl slowed his walk once they maintained eye contact.

“If you’re gonna punch me, I would prefer if you didn’t” Daryl joked, putting his hands up in surrender. Shawn smiled.

“Ain’t gonna hit you,” he replied. “I am gonna ask you ‘bout this though,”

“Figured as much,” Daryl stood a few feet away from Shawn and shoved his hands in his jeans pockets.

“This been going on long?” Shawn asked. Daryl froze a little, wondering how much truth he should give him. If was told him they met at a bar and had sex after, that would be too much and he would probably get punched in the face. He could say they met at the gym and things just progressed from there but that didn’t seem believable either. He felt it was better to be quiet and keep his words to a minimum.

“Not really. Just happened,” Daryl said.

“I’m not gonna pretend that she was a virgin since Zach made it quite clear that he took that.” Shawn huffed. “And you’re both adults so I’m not gonna comment on what you two do behind closed doors. But I am serious about my gym. I don’t want none of that shit happening under my roof.”

Daryl couldn’t help but let out a small laugh. “I respect that,” he said, and Shawn smiled.

“I know you are nothing like him and you are going to treat her right. But if anything happens between you two, I need to know you can keep it professional. I don’t wanna be choosing sides between my fighter and my sister.”

“You won’t have to worry about that.” Shawn gave him a nod in understanding and a pat on the back.

“But if you do step out on her, I will beat your ass and I’ll bring friends!” Shawn threatened with a grin. Even though Shawn was smiling, Daryl knew the man was serious and if he ever did cheat on Beth, he would gladly tie himself into the ring and let them beat the shit out of him.

* * *

 

“That’s literally all he said?” Beth asked as they pulled out of the parking lot of her complex. Daryl just grunted in affirmation and Beth sat back and looked out the front window. “I thought for sure, he would have pushed you around a little bit or threatened you a little more than that.”

“Got his point across,” Daryl smirked. Beth giggled.

“You scared of my brother, Daryl,” she said, reaching over the middle console of the truck and squeezing his thigh. He released his hand from the steering wheel and placed his on top of hers.

“Not as much as I am his friends. They’ve been fighting a hell of a lot longer than I have,” he grimaced. Beth couldn’t help but let out a laugh knowing that Daryl could be scared of some things.

“So where you taking me? Not too much to eat in this town,” Beth asked.

“Found a place not too far from here,” he replied. “Has some good southern cooking,”

“My mom made the best southern food in the state. I swear by it,” Beth spoke in awe. “Every Sunday we had all the fixins and she would always invite people over.”

“She sounds like a great lady,” Daryl responded, squeezing Beth’s hand in sympathy.

“She would have adored you. She always fretted over people, especially my brother. Making sure he was fed and happy.”

“Sounds like a good mama.”

“She was amazing.” Beth spoke solemnly. “After she died, we all just kinda stopped living. Not sure how to go on without her. We started pulling away from one another.”

“You guys seem okay now.”

“Once we realised we needed each other, we started to heal. My father needed help getting around and my brother was stuck in the hospital with all his surgeries. Me and Maggie kept things going and leaned on each other when we needed it.” Beth smiled. “We learned what family really meant during that time.”

Daryl smirked from the corner of his mouth. “Sounds better than my family.”

Beth grimaced. “Was it always just you and your brother?”

“Pretty much. Mom died when I was ‘bout eight in a house fire. My dad was drunk or passed out the majority of my life. Beat us when he needed to,” Daryl admitted.

“That sounds awful, Daryl.” Beth was visibly stunned by his confession. She knew that he had the marks on his back and that his parents were long gone. It was just hard to hear what a rough childhood he had.

“I was mad for a lot of years, Merle too. We got into trouble and did some fucked up shit but that was how he coped with it.”

“Until you found fighting?” she asked. Daryl nodded.

“Found a book at the goodwill, surviving childhood abuse. Merle was off on a stint in jail and I was hangin around workin till he got out. Worked through it and it talked about findin an outlet to push the anger towards. Fighting became the answer.”

“You’re really good at it too.”

“Yeah. Something about my fight or flight reaction. I’m used to just taking a beating,” Beth quieted down and thought about him, as a child, being beaten by his father. It was heartbreaking and yet he could talk about it so openly. He bared the scars on his back not to show his wounds, but to show he survived.

It was heartwarming to know that he had surpassed his demons and moved on with his life.

“Look at us, first date and talking about the most depressing things in our lives.” Beth joked. Daryl couldn’t help but let out a chuckle.

“Promise, it will be better now,” he spoke, bringing her hand up to his mouth so he could kiss her knuckles.

“I don’t think it was bad thing. It’s who we are.” she replied. “I’m glad you shared that with me though” she grinned, looking over at him. He took a quick glance and smiled back at her.

* * *

 

Their evening took a turn for the better once they got to the restaurant. Daryl, being ever the gentleman, helped her out of the truck, and opened the door for her. He placed a hand on the small of her back as they were led to their booth and always let her order first. It had been awhile since she had been on a date with someone and this was turning out to be perfect.

They kept their work talk to a minimum but it did come up anyways. Daryl was proud to be close to his goal weight and was building more muscle. Beth was excited that his name was getting around and they possibly might have a match for his in the future.

Dinner was amazing and really brought back such great memories of her mom’s cooking. They ordered the family dinner which gave them a taste of almost everything on the menu. They shared each plate and got their fill of good tasting southern cuisine.  
It was light and carefree and it was like nothing had ever changed between them. The only difference was she could hold his hand across the table now or kiss him when she got up to use the bathroom. She could flirt with him and say things with double meanings and make him blush.

When the waiter came around to ask if they wanted dessert, Beth shook her head no and asked for the check. She had some ice cream back at her place and it was a good invitation to get Daryl back there.

It was perfect until they got up to leave and as Daryl brought her back to the truck, he turned her and pushed her against her door, placing his mouth on hers in a searing kiss. She fell into the heat of it immediately, grasping his neck with both of her hands to pull him in closer. He responded by holding her hips and grinding his body against hers.

He pulled away with a smile on his face “Been wantin’ to do that all night.”

“Better get back to my place fast then so we can do more of that,” she flirted, biting her lip in anticipation. He quickly opened her door and helped her in, closing the door behind her. He was around and in his seat in less than a minute.

“Better hold on Darlin, this is gonna be fast,” he spoke low. At this time, Beth thought he meant the car ride home, but really, he meant that to include when he got her home. Within seconds of closing her apartment door, he had her pushed up against it and started clawing at the dress that she wore.

He pushed the straps down enough so he could pull the top down to uncover her breasts. His mouth latched on immediately to the right nipple, while his hand massaged and groped at the left. Beth held onto his shoulder and head, pulling him close and let out a breathy moan.

She felt his hardening manhood on her thigh and opened her legs to allow him to fit between them. He moved his hips into her, grinding his hardness onto her center.

“Can’t wait, need you to fuck me,” she breathed out. She yelped when he bit down on her hardened nipple.

“Where you want me?” he asked, pulling her close so he could lift her up. She looked around quickly to find the best surface for them.

“Table,” she responded, holding on to his shoulders as he picked her up. He brought her over to the table and laid her back, with her legs hanging over the edge. He pulled the chair right close to her and sat down.

“Tables are for eatin,” he smirked and Beth could feel her arousal flush out of her cunt. He pushed her dress up over her thighs and pulled down her lace panties. Without warning, his mouth attached itself to her clit and he began sucking on it.

“Fuck,” she yelled out, grabbing his hair with one hand. The other hand grasped behind her head and pulled on the back of the table. Her body lifted off the table with every lick and nibble he made down her slit. His arm came across her hips to hold her down.

“Stay down girl,” he teased, his voice sending vibrations through her body. He started licking at her opening and they both moaned. “Taste so good darlin,”

Beth’s body flushed and she could feel herself getting wetter with every second that passed. His mouth moved towards her clit again but she felt the pressure of his fingers pushing into her womanhood.

“Oh god, that feels so good,” she cried out, loving the sensations he was creating.

“Can you take one more?” he asked, his voice full of seduction. She nodded her head, wanting to feel him fill her. She gasped as he pushed in another finger, moving it slowly. “So tight like this,” he whispered, continuing his ministrations on her clit.

“Fuck, I need to cum, Daryl,” she whined out. “Make me cum, please.” Daryl smirked, she could feel his mouth move from the whiskers of his beard.

He started licking her harder, his fingers moving faster in her and she felt her orgasm approaching. Within thirty seconds, she was moaning out her release, feeling her cum soak his fingers. He quickly removed his fingers and started licking her up with his mouth. The difference in feeling prolonged her orgasm and by the time she came down, she was breathless.

He kissed the inside of her thighs, and stood up to help her get up from the table.

“Legs are like jelly now,” she giggled. He picked her up in his arms, and brought her into her room.

“Guess I’m not done then,” he replied. Beth giggled as he set them down on the bed. She couldn’t agree more.


	16. Believe In You

_A big congratulation to Zach Smith!_

_Not only did he win the Heavyweight Championship last month at UFC 340, but he and his fiancee, Amy Harrison tied the knot this past weekend._

_"Zach and Amy are delighted to not only share this occasion with their closest family and friends but being able to say he's a World Champion UFC fighter, really makes this day more special for him." An official statement wrote._

_They will be honeymooning in Europe for the foreseeable future as no heavyweight title match will be held at the upcoming UFC 341 in New York City._

* * *

 

In the few weeks, since they had begun this thing, Beth never felt an inch of regret or guilt. It was probably one of the best decisions she made in her life, apart from dumping Zach. She was happier and lighter. She had a great man in her life now, and he was making it so easy to be with him.

He still maintained his training schedule and strict eating regimen but he spent whatever free time he could with her. And it wasn't just about sex either. They would just lay in bed and talk, wearing pajamas, as they recounted childhood stories and funny moments from growing up. She had never laughed this much with a boyfriend or been so open with one.

At the gym, they were complete professionals. They may have eaten the occasional lunch together but they kept it chaste. Small kisses away from prying eyes was the furthest they ventured.

It didn't take long for news of their new romance to hit the floors. Her father, brother, and sister all knew by the end of that first day and all of them were happy for them. The staff had it all figured out quickly since Merle liked to tease about sneaking off to find a dark corner.

No one really talked about it around the gym which Beth was very grateful for. She was mostly worried about the press and what they would think of it. She really hated being in the spotlight when she was with Zach and when it ended, their entire relationship was spread all over the papers and internet. She liked having something somewhat private between her and Daryl and he enjoyed that aspect as well.

One day, when he was more famous and won a few matches, they might not be so lucky, but they were enjoying their peaceful time now. As long as Zach stayed out of their business, then she had nothing to worry about.

Currently, Beth was sitting in her office, going over the latest matches for the upcoming Pay-Per-View. It was pretty straightforward, no real shockers.

She kept scrolling through the pages when she heard a ding of an e-mail on her phone. She took a glance over and saw it was an e-mail from Carol. Odd, she thought.

She opened it up and after reading the first few lines, she nearly dropped her phone in shock. She lost the ability to breathe in that moment and had to force herself to breathe out the breath she was holding.

She got up from her chair and bolted out of her office, and down to where she knew Shawn would be training with Daryl and Abraham. She almost smashed into one of the staff members and had to jump over a wet floor sign.

By the time she made her way into the private gym area, she was out of breath and panting heavily. The men stopped what they were doing, taking in her ragged demeanor and showed concern by walking closer to her. Before any of them could mutter a word, Beth yelled out.

"Simon broke his leg!" She held up her phone as evidence.

The men all looked at each other, wondering what the hell drug she was on because that made no sense.

"Beth, you okay?" Shawn asked, walking cautiously towards his sister. She realized what she yelled out and blushed a crimson red.

"Simon broke his leg and is out for the next ten weeks. He had a match against Len at the next pay-per-view but now the spot is open and they want to give it to Daryl," she further explained.

"Are you kidding me?" Shawn exclaimed, a smile rooted on his face.

"I almost knocked Benjamin over to get here, I think I'm pretty serious," she giggled. Shawn turned to look over at Daryl who was in complete shock.

"You have a match," Shawn exclaimed, going to give Daryl a huge hug! The men bound their arms around each other as they cheered the good news. Abraham was next to congratulate Daryl by lifting him off the ground and letting out a manly roar. Daryl was smiling from ear to ear, and Beth couldn't help but follow. He was so excited and she was happy that he was finally getting his shot.

"Oh my god, we have so much to do," Shawn proclaimed. "Abraham, gather everyone in the meeting room, we need a game plan made. Daryl, get showered and meet us up there. We got...what...a few weeks?" he looked over at Beth.

"Two and a half," she responded meekly. It wasn't a lot of time but Daryl had been gearing up for a match for weeks so he was more than ready.

"We got two and a half weeks people. We need every minute we can get!" he yelled, jumping around as he made his way to his office. Beth laughed off his antics and turned back to Daryl who was stalking towards her.

He lifted her up into his arms and hugged her tight to his body. Beth giggled at him and hugged him back. When he put her back down on the ground, he continued to hold her tight but wound his gloved hands around her head and pulled her down for a heated kiss.

"Excited much?" she asked, out of breath from their quick make-out session.

"Lil Bit," he responded giving her a peck on the forehead.

"You better go and get showered and changed so you can be part of this. I'm gonna go and confirm," she said, gently easing from his grasp.

"You gonna be there?" he yelled out as she almost left the room "In my corner?" She smiled softly at him.

"Wouldn't miss it for the world!" she replied with a wink.

By the time that Beth got off the phone with UFC, the board room was full of people as Shawn started delegating tasks to everyone. She sat in the back with her pad of paper and waited for Shawn to get to her.

"Eugene, I want him adding an extra 500 calories a day. We're only a few pounds off from his goal weight and he's gonna be working extra hard so we need to amp it up. I want his meals prepared and ready to go when it's break time," Shawn spoke as he wrote on the whiteboard.

He had already added Abraham's name and next to it, full circuit training. Next to Shawn was Ju-Jitsu and meditation.

"Pops, you see what you can bring up with Len on his past matches. Video, play by play commentary, all of it," he pointed to Hershel as he wrote that on the board.

He turned and searched the room, finding his youngest sister. "Beth, we need hotels, airfare, rental vehicles, the whole nine yards. Get the itinerary and go through it with Merle." Shawn turned towards Merle. "Merle, I want you to follow Beth around because next time, this is all gonna be on you."

"UFC wants a new write up for Daryl on their website in the next hour. I got something drafted but I want you both to take a look at it before I send it off," Beth replied. Shawn nodded.

"That's fine. Did they get the new profile pics we took last week?"

"Yup, those are up and will be updated on the PPV site as well."

"Great! Maggie, we need to amp up security over the new few weeks. I can imagine once word gets out, people might be coming out here to catch a glimpse. I want 24/7 watch and I want the security company to add an extra camera in the backfire exit just so we know no one is going to sneak in back there."

"I'm on it, Sargeant," Maggie chuckled as she wrote it down. Shawn went back to the board.

"Anyone I'm missing?"

"Think you got it covered, son. We all got jobs to do," Hershel spoke with pride. He looked happy and content and as Beth looked around the room, she could see the smile on everyone's faces.

"Alright, everyone go and get your tasks done, Daryl and Merle, let's go to Beth's office and look over the write-up and then we can focus on the timeline." Everyone got up and went their own ways.

Beth handed the write up to Shawn as they go into her office, and Daryl and Merle took the seats in from of her desk. She quickly opened her e-mails to see if she had received the packet from Carol about the upcoming PPV.

"Got the itinerary," she said, opening up the document. "Looks here like events start two days before the match."

"I wanna be there two days before that. It's in the same time zone so we don't have to worry about jetlag too much," Shawn replied, looking up from the paper in front of him.

"How many people are we bringing with us? They have a suite booked for the Four Season for us that fits up to six adults."

"Well, Daryl, Me, Merle, Abraham, Eugene, Hershel, You." he listed off.

"That's seven. We're gonna need an extra room."

"I'll take the extra room. Just in case I find me a lady at this thing," Merle grinned with a lick at his lips.

"Good to know I won't be around that if it happens," Beth giggled.

"Like you and my brother ain't gonna be bumpin uglies with one another,"

"Not with her brother and father in the room over, she won't" Shawn warned. He spoke towards Merlet but Beth could feel his eyes on her.

"Whatever you say, Shawn," Beth taunted him. Shawn grumbled under his breath and finished reading the write-up.

"This is good to go. Just make sure that they got the photos and promote on all the social media too. I want this to be epic."

"Sure thing boss," Beth sassed. He turned to leave the room but flipped her his middle finger as he left. Daryl just followed behind him laughing at the sibling's antics. Beth giggled and looked at Merle and sighed, "Guess we need to get to work then."

It was a long day by the time people started trickling out and going home. Daryl was left to his own devices and allowed to rest since the next few weeks were going to be rough. He would be training ten hour days and would have no days off until the match.

Beth was able to get all her paperwork sent out, while she went over everything with Merle. He had to get all the paperwork sorted out, everything signed and faxed by the end of the day. Beth explained about booking everything for the trip and their contact at UFC who would be there for when they arrived.

Daryl was required to do press and some appearances before the match and Merle, as his manager, was required to be by his side. Beth would be accompanying him since she was his publicist, but Merle needed to take on the more active role for the two of them.

It was hard work but Beth found that Merle did have a knack for managing. He learned things quickly and asked questions when necessary for clarification. It overjoyed her to know that even though Merle gave a lot of shit, he really wanted his brother to succeed in this career.

* * *

 

It was getting late and Beth could hardly suppress the yawn from her mouth as she stared blankly at the computer screen. She had sent Merle home a few hours ago but she wanted to get all her press releases in order for the next few weeks. They had a few amateur fighters that were going to be at an upcoming event and she wanted to publicize them and the gym beforehand.

She had interviews set up and sent out the confirmation e-mails before she finally decided to call it quits. She turned off her computer and turned off the lights before closing the door behind her. The gym was quiet, only the cleaners working at the moment. She did notice another office light on and wasn't surprised to see that it was Shawn's.

She grimaced, knowing he was going to push himself way too hard and maybe she could convince him to go home and get some rest. She made it into the doorway of his office and sighed.

He was hunched over his desk, fast asleep with his head laying on his extended arm. She put her purse and jacket on the chair and went to gently shake his arm.

"Shawn, you gotta wake up," she gently spoke. He grumbled in his sleep but made no move. She shook his arm a little more and spoke louder, "Shawn, get up!"

He bolted up in his chair and looked around and sighed when he saw it was his sister, "What time is it?"

"Past your bedtime apparently," she giggled. He chuckled and stretched his sore back.

"We the last two here?" he asked.

"Seems that way. Marcus and Miranda are here cleaning," she replied. Shawn sat in his seat, breathed deeply and then went back to his computer, "Shawn, no."

She looked to see him reading up on Len and his previous matches. She pulled his hand away from the mouse and pushed the power button on his monitor. "You need to go home and get some rest."

"I know, I know," he grimaced. "I just don't like feeling like this," he replied.

"Like what?" Beth asked concerned. Shawn just shook his head and Beth touched his hand with hers, "Please talk to me."

"I have all the confidence in Daryl and I really think he can beat this guy. But I'm just doubting myself and wondering if we need to be bringing other people to help train or maybe this was all a mistake…" Shawn rambled and Beth lunged herself at her brother in a large hug.

"You are doing the right thing," she spoke clearly into his ear and she hugged his torso tight. "You are one of the best trainers this league has and Daryl is the luckiest person in the world to have you." She pulled back to look into his eyes. "You two are going to be amazing and when Daryl wins that championship belt, he's gonna be looking at you, and thanking you for everything you've done for him."

"When did you get so wise," Shawn joked, a smile firmly planted on his face.

"I've always been the smart one in the family," she lightly punched him in the chest as she backed away from him. "And as the smarty pants here, you need to go home and get some rest so you aren't a pile of goo on the floor tomorrow."

Shawn nodded and turned everything off in his office. He placed his arm on his sister's shoulder, "I'm lucky to have you here, Beth," he confided in her. "Daryl is lucky to have you too."

"I know," she replied smugly, which caused Shawn to pinch her arm. They left the gym that night in a fit of giggles and Beth knew they had nothing to worry about.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank You for reading and please review.


	17. Some Relaxation

_A last-minute change to UFC 341 has Daryl Dixon making his UFC debut. With Simon Pinch out with a broken leg for the next few months, Dixon is now taking his place against Len Gallas._

_In the press release from UFC, the company is “excited to see what Dixon has to offer and offer their warmest congratulations and welcome to this ring. He was a dominant force in the minor leagues and it should be a great match to see him again Gallas.”_

_Dixon himself is proud to be given this opportunity saying “I’ve been training hard and ready to give this a go. I have a great team behind me, and they have prepared me for this moment. I’m not gonna let them down,”_

* * *

 

The alarm blared from his phone as it went off. He slowly felt it on the nightstand and clicked the snooze button. It was four in the morning and even though Daryl knew he would be up, his companion would probably need another few minutes to officially wake up.

“Don’t tell me what time it is,” Beth spoke from beside him, all curled up in the blankets she shared with him.

“You got ten minutes to get up or else I’m gonna turn on every light in here,” he warned, turning over to look at her.

She had decided to sleep over at his place that night and brought her luggage with her. They had a car picking the three of them up to take them to the airport this morning. It was easier to pick them all up in one place rather than two separate locations. She pulled the pillow from under her head, to cover her face, to drown him out but he knew she just needed a minute….and some coffee.

Daryl sat up and rubbed the sleep from his eyes. They knew they had an early flight and would need their rest so they made sure to get to bed early enough. He knew Merle wouldn’t care and probably hadn’t even gone to bed yet and would probably just sleep on the plane. He wasn’t the fighter so he knew he would have time to rest in between events. Daryl, on the other hand, was on a strict schedule.

He rolled out of bed and made the small walk to the bedroom door. His first stop was coffee and everyone was going to need it today. Beth had made sure to add the water and the grounds the night before, all he had to do was push the button. Once that was started, he moved to Merle’s room and knocked on the door. When he heard no noise, he let himself in and was surprised to see Merle asleep.

He knocked on the door a little louder to rouse his brother from his sleep. “Merle, gotta wake up man.”

“Yeah, yeah,” he mumbled in reply and Daryl took that as a good sign. Once his brother could form coherent words, he was good to go and he figured he would get showered and dressed before Daryl came back for him.

The sun was nowhere near being ready to rise and Daryl was fine with that. He had always been an early riser and this was no different. He had a decent night sleep and he was excited to be getting going.

The training had been long and hard but it was worth every minute. He had gained the muscle he needed to and felt confident in his body’s appearance. He had his moves down pat, he learned everything he could about Len and his tactics and he felt an assurance inside that they had done everything they could to prepare him for this match.

Beth had been his rock through all this and was so patient with him. They stole moments through the day to just talk and he was really able to open up to her about his worries and troubles. She listened and gave him advice where she could. They couldn’t go out too much so it was a lot of late nights in at her place or his. They worked around their schedules and made it work as best as they could.

Due to his extensive training, their sex life had dwindled down as he was exhausted and sore most nights. She gave him back rubs and massages which helped him tremendously, and they would just sleep together in bed. It was an odd feeling to just sleep with a woman in his bed, and there not be anything sexual about it. But Beth had changed that in one night and he really couldn’t help but love the cuddling and waking up to her.

The entire team had been a godsend and he had so much gratitude for this opportunity. Whatever he needed, his team was there to help him out and point him in the right direction. Even Hershel had taken him aside one evening and they had a heart to heart about this match and what it could mean. It was exceptional advice and Daryl was glad to have a father figure in his life.

When he got out of the shower and looked at his bed, he noticed Beth was gone and figured she had gone to the kitchen to grab herself some coffee. It was quiet in the apartment but he could hear small footsteps in the kitchen and a shower running in Merle’s room.

He dressed comfortably, since they were in for a lengthy flight, and was just pulling on his shirt when Beth came back into the bedroom. She had two cups of coffee in her hands and placed one down on the dresser, next to where he stood.

He pulled her close and kissed her head as a good morning and thanks. She grumbled and he couldn’t help but snicker. She was the least morning person he knew and this was almost pure torture to her. She brought her coffee with her into the bathroom and closed the door.

* * *

 

Their morning was quiet as everyone one got ready. It was really too early for anyone to have a decent conversation and it gave Daryl some time to get his nerves in check. He was on his way to a match that would be the beginning of his professional career. He already had the odds stacked against him with his loss against Zach but he felt he was more prepared and didn’t have Beth as a distraction anymore. She was by his side, cheering him on as his girlfriend and he couldn’t ask for anything more.

Once they got into their seats on the plane, Daryl could tell that Beth was more alert than she was back at the apartment. She snuggled into her seat and clasped his hand into hers.

“You nervous yet?” she asked quietly.

“For the flight or the fight?” he countered. She rolled her eyes.

“Either, I guess,” it was true he didn’t fly much, only twice in his lifetime but he wasn’t worried at all about that.

“Hasn’t hit me directly yet. Like I know where we’re goin’ but I until I’m in that arena, it doesn’t feel real yet.”

“That’s understandable. I think over time it will become easier, once you get a few matches under you.”

“Your dad was sayin’ that.”

Beth giggled.“What else my dad tell you?” she quirked an eyebrow. He smiled a little from the corner of his mouth.

“That you’re a nosy girl,” he bopped her on the nose with his other hand. She smiled and leaned in to kiss him softly on the lips.

“You two better not think about joining the mile high club while we’re all here,” Shawn spoke from beside them. He and Merle were across the aisle and could see and hear what they were up to.

“Really Shawn?” Beth growled. “You think we’re that stupid?” Daryl chuckled from his seat, kissing Beth on the forehead.

“I’m just sayin’,” he responded which earned him a middle finger from Beth. She grabbed her bag from her feet and took out her headphones to watch a movie during the flight.

Daryl turned towards Shawn and gave him a death glare. Shawn was about to speak when Daryl spoke first.“If she’s in a bad mood today, I’m gonna punch you later,” Shawn closed his mouth and nodded.

“I know what your right hook is like, I’ll be good,” Merle chuckled from his seat and resumed reading his magazine.

* * *

 

It was a long few days of training and interviews and having to be lively. Daryl had never spoken so much in his entire life. It seemed people were excited to see his rookie match in the big leagues and wanted to know everything about him. Merle was great in that he answered some of the questions with one of his smart ass comments but Daryl was really trying to make a good impression on the press and the fans.

But you could only take so many times of people asking you what your daily routine is before you start making up obscure things to make you laugh.

Beth was there every step of the way and sometimes, when she would be talking with an interviewer beforehand, he would just stop and stare at her and wonder how he was so lucky to get a girl like her. She was drop dead gorgeous and smart and witty. She had everything going for her and he really didn’t have much to offer her.

Everything was on her brother’s dime right now and until he started getting more matches, and winning more fights, he felt like he was just a nobody. He had a lot to prove in this match but Beth was his main fighting point. She deserved a man who could provide for her and that’s exactly what he was going to do.

When they all got back to the hotel for the night, Beth was typing away on her laptop, but she glanced up to see the men coming back. She smiled and finished typing whatever she was and then closed the lid.

“Everything went well today, I gather?” she asked hopefully, giving Daryl a quick peck on the lips as he walked by her. He flopped himself onto the couch where she was working and just relaxed.

“I think it went well. The press love him!” Shawn boasted. “And that was a great idea, Beth, to have them watch him in training.”

“Yup, the women didn’t know what to do with themselves. Think one left early to go take care of her business if you know what I mean…” Merle winked in Beth’s direction. Daryl rolled his eyes at his brother’s crassness.

“Well, if you gentleman are done with him, he and I have an appointment to get to,” she spoke confidently, getting up from her spot. She extended her hand to him and he looked at her confused.

“What appointment?”

“You’ll just have to see,” she replied. He was exhausted and just wanted to get some rest before the big day tomorrow but obviously, she had other plans for them. He only hoped it would be done quickly so he could get some sleep.

He grabbed her hand and pushed himself up from the couch. She waved a goodbye to the others and opened the hotel room door.

“Where we going?” he asked as they walked down the hallway.

“You just have to trust me, Mr. Dixon,” she replied sweetly. Her voice had a sense of playfulness in it and he was intrigued. Rather than stopping at the elevators, she kept walking to the other side of the hotel floor.

“Is this where we goin’?” he questioned again. She turned around to face him and pulled a keycard from her back pocket. She nodded and opened the door.

He stepped inside and was immediately cast in candlelight. The lights were off and the window coverings were closed. Candles were lit everywhere, giving the room a healthy glow. The furniture had all been moved to the sides and two massage tables were in the middle, two masseuses standing on either side.

“What’s this?” he asked Beth as she came up behind him.

“Your relaxation time. It’s important that you be fully rested and relaxed before your fight tomorrow,” she explained. “We’re both going to have a massage and then I have room service being delivered later, with Eugene approved food for you,” she gestured.

“This is great, Beth,” he spoke softly, not sure exactly what to say.

“I’m glad,” she responded with a huge grin. “You deserve it,”

Daryl stood there nervously, not sure what to do next. He had never really had a massage before and he wasn’t sure what the protocol was. Beth could sense his hesitation and stroked his cheek softly.

“Those two are gonna go in the bedroom and close the door, then you get completely undressed and slide in under the sheets,” she looked over her shoulder. “Face down first?” she asked the two ladies. They nodded and she looked back at Daryl.

“I’ll be here beside you so you won’t have to be worried. You get uncomfortable, you just say the word.” He nodded in understanding and watched the two women leave the room.

He made the choice to not watch Beth get undressed, instead of turning his back to her as he removed his clothes. Seeing her naked always got him hard, and just knowing she was getting undressed behind him was already stirring things up in him. Maybe after this massage, she would be up for a little fun, but then again, he might fall asleep and that would ruin everything.

He slipped under the blankets and brought them to cover his back. The room was perfectly warm and he didn’t feel any coldness from being naked. He looked over at Beth who had gotten under her sheets and was proceeding to put her hair up in a messy bun on top of her head.

“You do this often, I guess,” he asked timidly. She giggled.

“Once a month. Just helps keep my muscles loose and relaxed.” He understood. Depending on how today went, he may just have to start going monthly along with her.

Within a few minutes, the ladies came back into the room and his introduced herself to him. Her name was Tara and she was going to give him a full body massage. She explained what she would be doing and if she ever went too hard to let her know. He nodded his head and placed his face back on the pillow provided. He was very tense but as Tara started with his neck and shoulders, he could feel himself start to dissolve in the bed.

A couple minutes later, feeling calm, he let his eyes drift closed and he fell asleep.

* * *

 

“Mr.Dixon,” he heard someone softly speaking to him. “Mr.Dixon, time for you to wake up,” He gently lifted his head from its cradle and looked around the room. It took him a moment to realize where he was and who was speaking to him. He breathed out when he remembered.

“Don’t worry, this happens a lot. I’ve got calming hands, I’ve been told,” Tara joked. He smirked and looked over to where Beth was and saw she was missing. “Oh, she finished about fifteen minutes ago and went and took a shower. She told me to wake you up once I was finished.”

Daryl nodded and started to move his body, feeling how relaxed and sore he felt at the same time. Tara giggled from beside him. “I’ll take my leave and then you can get up. I think your girl is in the bedroom.” Tara gathered her things and turned before heading towards the door. “Drink lots of water so you don’t get dehydrated. And walk around the room a little so you get your muscles working again.”

“Thanks, Tara,” he said. She smiled and left the hotel room. He sighed and started to move around, slowly getting up. Right between the two massage tables was a table that held their oils, but now had a full glass of water beside him.

He was still a little groggy from his nap but he was able to sit up, with the sheets covering up his genitals, and take a large gulp of water. The candles were all blown out and there were a few lights dimmed in the living area. The bedroom door was closed and there wasn’t a lot of noise coming from it so maybe Beth was still in the shower.

He did as he was told first though and drank the glass of water and then walked around the area a little. He could feel pressure spots where she must have worked him hard, especially his calf muscles. He was using those a lot today with his kicks and dodges and he felt better knowing they were rubbed out professionally.

Once he was feeling himself again, he made his way to the sliding bedroom doors and carefully opened one up. He was shocked to see the candles has now made their way over in here. Once the door was open fully he could take in the picture in front of him.

Beth, in black lingerie, casually laying on the bed, waiting for him.

If he wasn’t awake before, he sure was now. He must have stood there with a shocked expression on her face because she smiled and let out a little giggle, before moving herself off the bed.

“My sleeping beauty finally awoke,” she teased him, coming up to stand in front of him. He was naked and she might as well have been with how sheer the corset top and panties were. He placed his hands on her hips to pull her close but still keep some distance from his body.

“You had this all planned out I see,” he responded, playing with the side of her panties with his index finger.

“Well, you and I needed to spend some time together and I thought this would be an excellent idea,”

“Best idea you’ve had so far,” he whispered and he kept staring at her body.

“Well, the pampering doesn’t stop here. You need to go lie on the bed now,” she spoke with a trace of seduction. When he didn’t move she grabbed his forearms and pulled him closer to the bed. “I mean it mister Dixon, I’m in charge tonight so you better do as I say.”

That got his attention.

They were always pretty equal in the bedroom, no one really took the lead in anything, so this was a surprising and welcome change. He did as he was told and laid down with his head on the pillows. She crawled up over the top of him and straddled his hips so that his growing erection was sitting right under her center.

She leaned over to the bedside table and brought back a blindfold and scarf. He arched his eyebrow. “Do you trust me?” she asked innocently.

“Yeah,” he replied lowly, with a deep voice he knew she loved. She smiled back at him and took the blindfold and placed it over his head, covering his eyes. She grabbed both his hands and brought them to his head.

“Good, because you are not to do a thing tonight, just let me take care of you,” she whispered into his ear, as she tied the scarf around his wrists.

The headboard was solid so he had to keep his hands above of his head. But really, to watch her take charge and dominate him right now was totally worth it.

He felt her body leave the bed and he suddenly got more aroused as he thought about what she had planned. He could hear her footsteps come and go from the room so she must have been grabbing things and turning off lights. Once he heard the lock of the hotel room door though, he knew that this was going to be a fun night.

She stood beside the bed; he knew that as he could feel her presence. Then he felt something very cold touch his nipple and he jumped from the sensation that it caused him. She giggled as she did it once more to him, taking the time to circle it around and make them erect. She followed suit on the other one and then the feeling was gone, replaced with her mouth which was licking up the excess water.

He was stone hard right now and he felt his cock twitch and move as he was thrusting himself lightly into the air, hoping for some sort of relief. He heard a soft moan come from her, obviously noticing just how ready he was for her.

“You know, I had this whole thing planned that I was gonna tease you until you were ready to burst,” she spoke low, pulling her mouth from his body. “But really, I’ve been wanting you so bad all day that I don’t want to wait anymore.”

He felt her fingers touch his lips and he opened them to take them in. He wasn’t expecting to taste her cum on her fingers and he groaned at how much was on them. He sucked them hard, wanting to gain every last drop, but she pulled them away after a few seconds.

“Don’t worry, you’ll have some more in a bit,” she teased him again, crawling over him but backward, so that her pussy was right on his face.

There was no teasing, no preamble, just her taking his hard cock into her mouth and pulling him down as far as she could. He yelled out when he felt her start to move up and down, her hand filling up the bottom where her mouth couldn’t reach. He was breathing heavily which only caused more pain because he could smell her. She was drenched probably and those tiny scraps of underwear she was wearing was doing nothing to hide it.

Her feet were holding down his arms on either side of his head and she continued giving him the best blowjob of his life. She was sucking his length and using her teeth gently on the skin. He was thrashing his head around, the feeling being too much. He could already feel ready to cum but he was holding back. He needed to last a little bit longer.

She took a breather and released him from her mouth to catch her breath but she continued to lick the slit on top. It was full of her saliva and pre-cum and he could feel more ooze out. She continued to rub him up and down with her hand but once her hands touched his balls, he knew he was gonna blow soon.

“Fuck, Beth,” he called out, his hips thrusting out to get her mouth back to him. “Suck it, please.”

She suddenly let go completely and got off of him. His heart sank and his erection quivered in anticipation. Suddenly, she was getting back on top of him, but this time, right near his face.

“Don’t worry, you’ll get to cum. But it’s going to be inside of me,” she spoke. Daryl was about to moan but his mouth soon found purchase on her bare pussy lips. She ground down on him, making sure he could feel just how wet she was and his mouth vibrated with the moan he did let out. She was soaked and he wanted to taste all of it.

She was basically using his face as she wanted so he stuck his tongue out so he could fill her hole up each time she came down onto it. She was whining loudly from the pleasure she was receiving and Daryl could only hope that she would get there fast enough.

He was licking her slit and biting her clit when he could but then she pulled up so his mouth could no longer reach her. He whined out, missing her taste already but she was fast this time and slid down her body so she straddled his hips once again.

She brought herself up to her knees and grabbed his erect member and slid her slick pussy down. They both moaned out at the feeling as this was the first time they didn’t need a condom. She had gotten her test results back a few days ago that she was clean and she made sure she had been on birth control for the two months.

The feeling was amazing and he got so caught up in it, that he didn’t even feel how fast she was riding him or that she was moaning loudly and continuously. It hit him faster than ever before and he couldn’t stop it. He starting helping in the thrusting, grounding his legs so he could push his hips upward, in hopes that he could get her off at the same time too.

He felt her fingers brush up against his pubic bone and knew that she was close too. They kept moving at a frantic pace, both wanting to get to the finish line and they erupted together. She called out his name in passion and he grunted through his completion. She pulled off his blindfold as his eyes adjusted to the candlelight that still glowed within the room.

She was still wearing her corset but the panties were long gone. She undid his wrists and the moment he felt them untied, he grabbed her around the waist and pulled her underneath him, never pulling from her womanly heat.

He kissed her with passion and fervor, wanting to give all his thanks for the evening that she had started. He didn’t deserve this girl, but he was damn glad that she was his.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading and please review.


	18. UFC 341

It was a stressful day already and it wasn’t even noon. Beth and Daryl had had a wonderful night together, full of love and laughter and such a great sleep but it all came crashing down when Beth woke up to her phone buzzing like crazy.

She had hoped it wasn’t Shawn who was wondering when they were going to wake up because as she told him the day before, Daryl needs his rest, but alas, it was something else entirely.

She was getting text messages and tweets and emails from tons of people, all asking her opinion on Zach being at the fight tonight and his new marriage. She was flabbergasted. She was well aware of the marriage and had been since everyone else found out about three weeks ago but to know he was going to be at the fight tonight, was something that struck her as odd.

Zach was never the one to come to these things without motive. He was all about advancing his career and showing up when the dollar signs were right. True, he could be checking out the competition, seeing who would be taking over the number one contender spot…

Or it could be to scope out Daryl.

She immediately turned her brain off of that thought and looked over at Daryl who was sleeping peacefully. The time showed it was after ten so she figured they needed to get up now anyway. She was mad because they couldn’t revel in the passionate lovemaking that happened the night before, and she had to break the news to him about Zach. It would be everywhere and she was certain that their group would bring it up somehow.

She grabbed their overnight bag that she had packed the previous day, and grabbed some clothes to put on. They could shower once they were back in their room, or he could at least. She would have to put out a statement as the messages just kept coming. They were probably hounding Merle and Shawn right now, and they were gonna wait for her.

She knew the right thing to do would be to ignore it, not even react but of course, they would continue to badger her. She would formulate some sort of statement that would appease everyone, and that would probably be priority one.

Once she was dressed, she sat on the bed, next to Daryl and pushed some hair back from his face. He was surprisingly young without the hair in his face. Him growing it longer than his usual cut. He would probably cut it soon though, as it would get in the way of his fighting soon or later.

He started to move around and slowly opened his eyes to her. He smiled so bright and brought his hand up to caress her face, lovingly.

“What a way to start the day,” he stated groggily.

“Well, I only wish I had better news for you to start with,” Beth stated sadly.

“Time to go then?” he figured.

“That, and I got some news this morning, about Zach.” Daryl sat up abruptly and looked at her eagerly. “He’s coming to the fight tonight.”

Daryl relaxed slightly and took a deep breath. “That doesn’t seem so bad,”

“For you, maybe, but I already have the press asking my opinion on this and on his marriage. I ignored it when it first came out but apparently this is hard news now.”

“I’m sorry, babe,” he said softly.

“I really hate that it’s always about him. Today is about you and without even trying, he just ruins everything.” Beth could feel her voice start to quiver in emotion.

“Days not ruined,” he spoke calmly. Beth looked away, trying to stop the tears but Daryl cupped her chin in his hand pulled her back to look at him. “It’s not. He’s a small problem that we’ll deal with. You do what you gotta do and then it’s over with.”

“But he keeps doing this. I feel like he’s trying to make my life miserable...”

“He’s tryin to get a reaction out of you.” Daryl interrupted “And you gettin upset is just fallin into that.” Beth sighed.

“Well Zach and Amy deserve one another,” she stated grumpily. Daryl laughed.

“That’s a good start,” Beth smiled and wiped her tears away.

“It’s the only congrats they are getting out of me,” she replied.

* * *

 

“The Greene Family are excited about Daryl’s fight against Len Gallas. The fact that Zach Smith and his new wife, Amy are joining us in attendance is splendid and we hope they enjoy the full show tonight.” Shawn read as Beth looked on, biting her thumb in anticipation. “It sounds good Bethy. Hopefully, they won’t want more than that,”

“They won’t get more,” Beth grabbed the paper from his hands and went back to her laptop.

“How are you feeling about all this anyway?” Shawn pressed further. “Zach getting married so quickly.”

“He sounds like a hypocrite to me.” she refuted. “He’s the one who stated he didn’t want a wifey at home and yet, here he is, with a wife.”

“I don’t think that’s what he meant…”

“I don’t care what he does. I’m glad I dumped his ass and that I found someone who actually wants to be with me and treats me like I should be treated.” Beth’s voice rose in anger. Shawn put his hands up in defense and backed away from her.

“Don’t get riled up now. We need your game face tonight!” Shawn comforted her.

"Okay, okay. I'll let it be. I just wanna focus on Daryl tonight,”

“Good, now go get yourself all prettied up while we get a workout in with Dixon. The limo is picking us up at three thirty,” Shawn stated. Beth grabbed her brother in a big hug and whispered in his ear,

“He’s got this.”

* * *

 

The backstage area was a flurry of people. The promoters, the UFC officials, media, fighters and their teams. It was complete chaos. There were only so many rooms available to Daryl had to share his dressing room with two other fighters but they weren’t facing each other, which was a smart idea since you didn’t need a fight to break out before a match started.

Beth was waiting patiently outside as Daryl was getting his tape and gloves put on and the UFC official would be signing off on it. It was an important practice and something that Beth respected. But she had to wait outside here by herself, while Shawn, Abraham, and Merle got to stay with him.

Her father was going to watch the fight from the hotel, seeming tired in his old age. He had been to enough of these things to know what went on and he could be a better cheerleader for Daryl in the comfort of his own space, than in a crowded arena. Eugene chose to stay behind with him.

Beth was leaning against the wall, waiting for them to finish in there when she heard a clicking of heels backstage. Everyone knew that you wear sensible shoes during these things since you’re going to be on your feet a lot and by wearing heels, you are just asking for trouble. She hesitated to turn her head because she had a sinking suspicion on who the heels belonged to.

Lo and behold, there they were, walking down the hallway like they owned the place. Zach Smith and his new bride, Amy Smith. She was shocked to see them, and her first reaction was to run. Her second reaction was thinking how much Amy looked like a tramp.

The woman was wearing a low cut, short skirt dress, with a plunging neckline that showed off her boobs. Her heels must have been at least 4 inches tall and her long blonde hair was poofed out in the biggest blowout Beth had ever seen. She looked like a two cent hooker and Zach was her pimp.

He had button down shirt that was unbuttoned halfway down his chest. He had it tucked into his dress pants, that were probably a little on the tight side. He had rings on his fingers and a few chains hanging around his neck. He was also wearing sunglasses, inside a building with no windows. He looked awful but that was probably what he believed a champion should look like.

He looked like a ‘70s porn star.

She herself had dressed modestly, wearing a floral print maxi dress with a criss-cross neckline. It fit her nicely and even Daryl had told her that she looked sexy as hell. Her hair was braided off the side of her head, with a few wisps framing her face.

She looked classy compared to these two.

“Well if it isn’t Miss Beth Greene” Zack joked, taking his sunglasses off his face. He pulled Amy’s hand from his and draped it over his arm. He was clearly showing off the massive engagement ring and wedding band he gave her but Beth wasn’t fazed. It was huge and tacky.

“Zach,” she smiled politely, grinning a little too hard.

“Was just coming back here to say hi to a few people. Surprised to see you, actually,”

“I’m here for my brother and Daryl,” she replied back with a bite to her tone.

“Oh yeah, Dixon has a fight tonight,” he grinned. “Wish him good luck for me, would you?” he asked. She knew he didn’t mean it. He would never wish anything towards Daryl except a few broken bones but she refused to let it faze her. If Zach wanted to act petty, she could too.

“Oh, I will. And congrats to you both. Getting married, such a huge commitment,” Beth spouted.

“Well, Amy here understands what I need in life, so it was a no-brainer,” Zach replied.

“Yeah, Zach here deserves a woman who gets him,” Amy interjected. Beth scanned her eyes over to Amy could tell that she wanted to tell her off. She wanted to rub it in Beth’s face that she was the victor in all this.

“Well, I’m happy for you both. You really deserve each other.”

Just then, the door behind her swung open and people started streaming out of the locker room. The officials came first and then one of the fighters and his team.

“Well, as awkward as this is, I’m gonna go now,” Beth said, and quickly ushered herself inside. Daryl was looking towards the doorway and smiled when he saw Beth enter. It quickly fell when he saw the look of horror cross her face.

“What happened?” he asked, quickly pulling her close to him.

“Oh, Zach and Amy are outside there. Had a nice little chat with them,” she replied sarcastically. Shawn’s head reared up as he heard her mention their names,

“What did those two want?” he asked angrily.

“I don’t think they were seeking me out, or maybe they were. It was just awkward and fake and I got out of there as fast as I could.” she sputtered out. She felt embarrassed and ashamed all of a sudden and Daryl must have been able to tell because he wrapped her up in his arms and kissed the top of her head.

“Don’t worry bout those two. They’re nosy little bitches,” he whispered into her hair. She felt at ease being held in his arms and she couldn’t help but relax and feel better afterward.

“I hope they aren’t sitting by you,” Shawn stated.

“I don’t think so. I think they are in the front row while I’m a few back, near the fighter entrance.”

“Maybe, you should go back to the hotel Beth. Watch with dad and Eugene,”

“I will not!” she yelled, pushing away from Daryl’s body. “I’m not going to cower from them just because it makes me uncomfortable.”

“I get that, but I’m worried about the press and if he pulls anything,” Shawn tried to explain but Beth held her hand up in front of his face.

“I don’t care if they start having sex right in front of me, I’m here for Daryl and for you. I’m gonna cheer you on and those two either better pay attention to the match or just leave cause I’m not going to care about them anymore.” She pointed her index finger into her brother’s chest to get the point across. Shawn backed away from her, with his hands held up in surrender.

Abraham snickered from the bench. “That girl has got fire, I wouldn’t try to throw her out just yet,” Beth smiled at his comment.

She looked back to Daryl who also had a smirk on his face. She grabbed his gloved hand and touched his exposed fingers with her own. “He caught me off guard but I’m not going to let him get in the way of your night.”

“I believe you, Beth,” he responded. “He ain’t worth any of our time,” She kissed him softly at his endearing words and squeezed his fingertips.

“Go out there and kick some ass,” she whispered, pressing her forehead against his.

“Make you proud!” he whispered back. Once they had their moment, and a short prayer led by Shawn, Beth left to get to her seat and watch the remainder of the show.

It wasn’t long before Daryl’s fight was announced and the crowd let out a cheer when he made his grand entrance. He wore his new merchandise with the angel wings on the back., his fighting shorts had the wings on them too. He looked focused and determined, but as he passed by Beth, he tapped her arm with his glove and gave her a side smirk.

She felt the smile on her face grow and her cheeks started to hurt from smiling so big. He had no record so there was a lot of emphasis on this being his first professional UFC fight. She watched him with the team and couldn’t believe they were here. This was such a momentous moment for him and his career and she was so glad that she got to be here and experience it with him.

While he was getting the petroleum jelly put around his face, he stared down his opponent who was making his way into the ring. Len was slightly smaller than Daryl but still had a lot of muscle to him. He looked out at the crowd and got them excited, not once paying a glance at Daryl.

That was a mistake.

She knew that Daryl was reading his body language, looking for signs and clues as to what this guy was about. Did he favor one leg over the other, was he jumping around or was he staying pretty still? Pre-fight could tell a lot about a fighter and Daryl was reading everything he could from the man.

Finally, Len did look over at Daryl and he only sneered at his opponent. It was clear that Len thought this was a joke and was really only here for the paycheck. He had countless sponsors, as what appeared on his banner behind him. He had the crowd’s favor as they were not chanting his name. Len thought this was a sure-win fight for him.

And boy was he wrong!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading and please review!


	19. What He's Got

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to Elsee07 for reading this over. You are an awesome beta!
> 
> Visit my site for all the information concerning the 3rd annual Moonshine Awards starting in 2018.
> 
> FYI, this was a real match between Todd Duffee and Tim Hague at UFC 102. I watched the match and wrote it down so just know, that it is possible!

_UFC 341_

_Regular Competition_

_Dixon vs. Gallas_

_This is going down in the record books as the fastest knockout ever in the history of UFC. Daryl Dixon emerged victorious after knocking out Len Gallas in only eight seconds._

_YES, EIGHT SECONDS._

_As the match started, there was no playing around as Dixon went for a straight jab which knocked Gallas right under the chin. Gallas, trying to get his own first punch in, missed, as Dixon ducked under his arm, which caused Gallas to turn around in his spot and fall over, face up._

_With Gallas open wide, Dixon went straight for the kill shot, landing four headshots before giving a left hook that would ultimately leave Gallas knocked out._

_The ref called the match at that point and Dixon, with his official debut in the professional UFC circuit, has made history._

* * *

 

Zach threw his laptop across the room as he saw yet another article about Dixon's legendary win against Gallas. It was infuriating to read how much people adored him now, and that he was getting this kind of recognition after one match.

It shouldn't have happened to begin with. Zach had fought both of these men and Len had some talent to him, but Dixon should have had nothing going for him. It was easy for him to beat Daryl not that long ago, you just had to get under his skin.

Len must be having a rough patch right now cause that should have been an easy win for him. He wasn't using any drugs and he wasn't drinking that night either (Zach had made his manager check). How could Daryl have gotten that good so fast?

It was exasperating to hear review after review of this guy and not a single mention of Zach being at this match!

Amy had done her part and showed up, looking like heaven. Men and women stopped in their tracks when she walked by in that killer dress and it made Zach proud to know that he was the one that got to fuck her at the end of the night. He even managed to get a rise out of Beth before the fight, but that was short lived. She barely even cast them a glance during the fight.

This was all wrong and Zach needed to get the light back on him. He was the champion for crying out loud. He got married, publicized the hell out of it and yet, this new guy was taking away the limelight from him? This was not cool.

He grabbed his phone from the stand beside him and hit his manager's speed dial. It didn't take him long to answer.

"Blake,"

"What's being done about all this?" Zach asked, pinching the bridge of his nose in annoyance.

"We're working on it, son. We think we can get you some P/R with a charity event and we're trying to schedule you a fight in the next pay-per-view," Phillip explained.

"I don't want it to be against someone good. I want to keep my title, please," Zach barked back.

"Yes, I know. Martinez's people are breathing down our necks but we think we can get something with Tyrese Williams in a non-title match. We're trying to dig up some dirt on him that we can use against him."

"That man is a teddy bear. He has never done a thing wrong in his life," Zach huffed.

"Yeah, but his sister is a firecracker and may have made some comments against your new wife."

Zach laughed."Sasha is just pissed because I gave her one night and one night only. That woman was a frigid bitch," he explained. Phillip agreed.

"Looking through her twitter posts right now, think she made a comment about Amy the other night, and something to do with a hooker."

"Work that angle. Text Ames if you need her to get included. She owes me big for the wedding."

There was a short pause as Phillip cleared his throat. "I'm getting some calls, asking for comment on the Dixon match."

"That was pure luck, that man could never pull that off again."

"He's getting another match next month. 'Gainst Monroe," Phillip spoke quietly. Zach breathed out forcibly.

"Aiden fights dirtier than I do. He'll bring Dixon down a few pegs."

"Let's hope so. His social media is blowing up, sponsors are starting to look at him now."

"People are just amazed by the shiny new toy. They are gonna figure out that he is nothing but a flash in the pan and he's got no real fighting skills."

"Don't count him out just yet, he's got a lot to prove still so just stay positive in interviews if people ask."

"Whatever," Zach spoke before ending the call. Phillip did nothing to quash his nerves about this guy and he was starting to get worried now. Aiden was plenty talented but he had a knack for getting rough. He had lost the odd match a few times because of his illegal moves. He'd have to pay Monroe a visit and tell him to tone it down.

Zach was just pissed off now and he needed to get this energy out of him, and he knew the best way how. "Amy!"

* * *

 

When the card for UFC 342 was announced, it was no surprise to see Daryl getting a lot of coverage with his match again Aiden Monroe. Everyone was talking about it and even while Zach was at the gym, his trainers were discussing what it meant for the new guy.

Zach had gotten his wish for a non-title match against Tyrese Williams. His sister had bad mouthed Amy, and Zach had started a twitter war with Tyrese which caused him to ask for a match. Most would think that Tyrese would be out for vengeance, having his family brought into the spotlight like that, but Zach knew how to beat the man.

He was on the high scale of their weight class and once that man went down, he had a hard time getting up. So Zach would just have to get the man down quickly and let his hands do the rest.

It would probably last a round or two but Zach was gonna win, he already knew this. He was training but he wasn't putting his all into it, he had no reason to.

Phillip had also managed to get some free publicity for Zach and Amy. Since the event was being held in Las Vegas, he was going to do some nightclub events and even judge a pool side competition. It was a win-win situation since Zach got paid some heavy money to be at these things, and he got to sit in the premium sections where he wouldn't be bothered by the fans.

He would take a few photos with some lucky fan club members and contest winners, but other than that, he just had to stick around for a couple hours and then go home. Amy loved going to the club and partying so as long as she watched her liquor intake, they would be golden.

It did suck how much press that he had to do now, since Daryl was at the forefront of everyone's minds. It was like a virus taking over and Zach was having none of it. The few interviews he had this month, he was asked about the record breaking knock out and Zach truly did his best to act impressed. It was hard though, with all the gossip that these people spouted about Dixon gunning for Zach's belt.

Over his dead body.

Daryl Dixon had a lot to prove before he even could breathe the words title match. Zach worked his ass for years before he got the recognition that Daryl was getting and that's what pissed him off the most. Who was this guy, who thinks he can just waltz into the party and start making demands.

Zach was the champion, he was the best and he was the one telling others what to do. He decided when he was gonna face people and right now, he wanted nothing to do with Daryl Dixon.

It also pissed him off to no end that there were rumors circulating about Daryl and Beth being an item. He knew that they were close and assumed that Dixon had a crush on her. It was confirmed when they fought each other at the charity match. But he assumed it was only a crush and that nothing was happening between them. He had left Beth hurt and wounded and figured she'd never want to be with a fighter again.

He was very wrong.

Phillip spoke about their date nights around their small town. He had photos of them kissing and holding hands across a dinner table. She would leave with him on the back of his motorcycle and end up at her place for the night.

It wasn't that Beth chose to be with a fighter, or even so quickly. It was the fact that Daryl actually decided to be with her, after what Zach had said to him. Daryl was trash and didn't deserve a girl like Beth, or maybe he did. That girl was downright awful in bed, so maybe their lackluster, missionary sex life was what worked for him.

No wonder the man trained so much, as was confirmed by Phillip again. He was constantly at the gym, training, and if he wasn't there he was with Beth or at home. He was boring and probably was content with his and Beth's relationship.

He almost felt sorry for the two of them but then remembered he didn't give two shits about their life.

He wished he could just push them out of his mind but it was impossible. He only hoped that his little chat with Aiden would guarantee a loss for the Dixon camp.

* * *

 

"Zach," asked the reporter from the third row back, "What made you want to fight Tyreese?"

Zach grinned largely. "I think Tyrese and I are both men of honor and when his camp decided to spread some awful words about my lovely wife, well I felt it my duty to fight for her honor."

"My sister never said a word against your girl, man," Tyrese interrupted, "She called her dress skanky, that means nothing."

"My wife's fashion sense is a direct reflection of her, and if you call her dress skanky than you are calling her skanky," Zach retorted.

"Your wife called my sister a bitch," Tyrese yelled, standing up and knocking his chair over. Zach stood and held his ground as they stared each other down. He could feel security get involved, standing close to intervene should they need to.

"I think these men just need to work out their difference in the octagon," Phillip chuckled from his seat. The panel leader called the interview closed as they didn't want things to escalate further. Phillip grabbed Zach by the arm, leading him away. When they got behind the curtain, Zach continued to smile.

"Things are going our way, boy," Phillip spoke lowly into Zach's ear, "Tyreese is furious."

"That's where we want him. Pissed off and uncoordinated," Zach replied with a laugh.

"You have a talk with Monroe yet?" Phillip asked Zach, sitting down on one of the chairs in the dressing room. Zach fell back onto the couch and spread his legs and arms out.

"Yeah. Mentioned how to get under Daryl's skin," Zach admitted.

"Think that's the only thing that's gonna help him?"

"Aiden can figure out how to fight. Get Dixon down and it's a guarantee he'll tap out."

"Don't underestimate Dixon, he has enough talent to get him this far."

"Whose team are you on?" Zach called out. "Dixon is a piece of shit who doesn't belong in this league. He should have stayed back in the minors."

"You discredit the man," Philip explained, "He had a perfect record in the minors."

"You know what, get the fuck out!" Zach screamed at his manager, pointing towards the door. Phillip got up and walked out of the room, not saying another word. Zach grabbed a vase off one of the side tables and threw it at the closing door.

Who was this guy? What kind of manager was he?

Telling him how great Dixon was and how he shouldn't count him out just yet. This was ridiculous. He paid this man to work for him, not his competition. He didn't need this right before his fight. He needed a clear head and Phillip just got him all messed up.

Fuck this, he needed to blow off some steam. He grabbed his cell phone and texted Amy, telling her to get her ass in here right now. He would fuck the anger out of him.

* * *

 

Zach had just gotten his tape and gloves checked by the officials and was sitting in his room, watching the fight on the TV. He was much calmer after his little afternoon romp with Amy but he was growing more agitated with every passing minute.

It was the fight he was waiting for, between Dixon and Monroe and it seemed that Aiden had zero recollection of what he told him to do. Daryl was on the man as soon as the bell rang and refused to let up. It seemed that Aiden couldn't even get a word in, as he was blocking his face and body from the punches.

Dixon currently held Monroe in a figure four hold and Monroe was swaying back and forth on the floor, trying to get out. As he was trying to gain momentum and put Daryl into a double-crossed leg hold, Daryl flipped Aiden over onto his stomach and locked his legs around Aiden's. Daryl held onto Aiden's foot and locked in the toe hold which caused Aiden to call out in pain.

Within two seconds, Aiden had begun tapping out and Daryl had let go. Zach let out a groan in annoyance as Daryl was declared the winner and Aiden was left on the floor in pain. The TV was shut off as Amy cuddled up closed to Zach.

"Baby, it's fine."

"That was barely even one round," Zach spoke between clenched teeth.

"Exactly. He couldn't even do an eight-second match again," Amy tried to reason with him.

"It's not about that!" Zach yelled, getting up and punching the concrete wall. "He was supposed to lose! Aiden was supposed to wipe his ass on the floor!"

"Why do you care about him so much?" Amy retorted, "You are so obsessed with him lately."

"He doesn't deserve this!" Zach screamed, causing his team to look at him. He continued on his rant, not caring about who was in the room. "Shawn is getting all the fame and he shouldn't be. His accident should have ended him and yet, he's getting this second chance."

"Why do you hate Shawn so much?" Amy whispered.

"He took my opportunity away from me," Zach muttered. "I should have been living that life but instead he got it."

"But look at you, you're still here and a champion. What does he have?" Amy asked.

"Dixon." Zach whispered.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading and please review!


	20. A New Year

_Happy New Year!_

_What a year we just went through with title changes, and new up and coming fighters. We were spoiled this year._

_Zach Smith winning the Heavyweight Championship belt and getting married within the span of a month was quite the new topic but let's not forget Daryl Dixon. Not only did he earn a world record with his eight-second match against Len Gallas, but he seems quite content to have Ms. Beth Greene, Smith's ex, on his arm. Sources say that the couple has been together for quite a few months already but have recently decided to become public with their romance._

_Seems Ms. Greene sure knows how to pick some winners._

* * *

 

In the past six months, so much had changed that it was hard to keep track of it all.

Shawn's gym was thriving, with a waiting list for new members, and people begging to be employed here. It was the most successful gym launch in the entire state of Georgia and Shawn had received plenty of accolades from the state and city of Senoia.

There were plaques from the Governor and a key to the city. He had meals named after him at the local restaurants and he was named the Man of The Year. Because of his gym and Daryl's notoriety, the tourist population had tripled and was bringing in tons of revenue.

The gym was still running smoothly with Maggie at the helm. She ran a tight ship and didn't let anyone one slip up. She could smell a rat from a mile away and the undercover reporter barely lasted four hours before Maggie kicked them out.

But Shawn would have never had this if it wasn't for Daryl Dixon. Or, that's what he liked to say. Daryl was the saving grace to Shawn's career and although Shawn would never get in the ring again, Daryl was taking over the man's legacy.

In the past six months, Daryl had fought his way to victory, with a match every month at every UFC pay-per-view. Most fighters needed a break but Daryl was barely breaking a sweat and usually got a knock-out or tap out within the first round.

His eight-second record had yet to be touched, and the press was loving his Cinder-fella story. Beth had a lot of help in that, the way she would spin the press releases. She was a bright girl and Hershel was so proud of his daughter.

Daryl and Beth were still quite the item and went public at Christmas with a UFC gala they had all been invited was a decision that the two of them had come up with and shared with the rest of the group. Beth wanted everyone to be on the same page and Hershel was more than happy it. It was a huge secret that he had been accosted for, on more than one occasion from the media and employees. Very few people in the gym knew as Beth and Daryl tended to keep their relationship closely guarded. It wasn't until they moved in together that people started asking questions, as the two would arrive and leave at the same time.

Although their relationship seemed to be moving fast, Hershel couldn't help but admire his daughter and possible future son-in-law. They were smitten with one another and you could see the love on each other's faces whenever they were around each other. They were perfect for one another and Daryl certainly treated her like a queen. Hershel would not be surprised in the least if they were to get engaged although he hoped that Daryl would ask for his blessings first.

The young couple spent the New Year on a small trip up in the Tennessee mountains. After the year they had, they both deserved a break and some R&R. Hershel just liked to believe that they were relaxing and reading a good book the entire time they were out there.

Daryl did have a fight coming up and it was a big one. He was fighting to be number one contender for the Heavyweight Championship. It was unheard of at this point in someone's career but frankly, the other fighters couldn't keep up with Daryl. He had an 8-0-0 record and he deserved the chance.

Martinez was going to be a hard opponent so when they asked to push the match to UFC 349, their camp was more than happy to accommodate. It was taking place in Pittsburgh so it wasn't too far for either fighter.

Hershel and Daryl sat in the conference room and went over every single one of Martinez's fights. They watched his moves, what leg he favored, his punches, his dodges, and everything in between. Every day, while he was in the middle of circuit training with Abraham, Hershel would ask Daryl questions about Martinez and Daryl would answer.

They were a week away from the match and Beth and Daryl had invited Hershel over for dinner one night. It seemed a little out of the ordinary, so Hershel was certainly interested to know what was going on.

They weren't engaged as far as he knew, although who knows what really happened in that cabin in the mountains.

They had already moved in together so it wasn't that.

Maybe she was pregnant?

As much as he hoped that she wasn't, he could feel a little bit content to think of him and a grandchild.

They hadn't invited Shawn or Maggie, in fact, he was told to keep it between them. That piqued his suspicions even more. What were they hiding now?

He arrived just before five, on a Sunday evening and was greeted at the door by Daryl. They shook hands in their normal manner and Beth waved hello from the kitchen. She was wearing a floral apron around her waist and had oven mitts on her hands.

Once she placed a pan in the oven, she removed the mitts and pulled some glasses from the cupboard. She poured her sweet tea into the glasses and brought her father and Daryl each a glass.

Hershel limped his way to the chair, across from the couch and sat down, taking the tea from her hand. He leaned back, took a sip and took a long look at the two in front of him. Beth was fidgeting in her spot, drinking her tea and Daryl sat back, holding his glass between both hands. He continued to stare at the glass, seeing something quite interesting.

"Whatever you two need to tell me, can you just get on with it. You're gonna give me an aneurysm and both of you a heart attack," Hershel spoke.

"It can wait till after supper, Daddy," Beth replied bashfully, knowing she was caught.

"No, I think we can talk now," he stated authoritatively. Beth looked at Daryl who nudged her arm.

"Okay," Beth started taking a few deep breaths. "Since Daryl and I moved in together, we knew we wanted to get a bigger place so we have been looking around casually to see what kind of houses are for sale." Hershel nodded his head to continue.

"And we really weren't finding anything so we thought we would just live here a little longer," Beth started and looked over at Daryl again. "But we found a house we really love and it's such a great deal but,"

"You need some money?" Hershel questioned.

"No, we got money," Daryl spoke. "Just the bank isn't too keen on letting us take out a mortgage."

"Oh," Hershel nodded. "I see. So what do you need from me?"

"Well, the whole story is that even though Daryl has been making money lately and I get paid quite well from the business, the bank can't take our full incomes into effect just yet."

"So we were hopin' you could co-sign the mortgage with us," Daryl abruptly cut in. He looked directly at Hershel as he spoke and the man could tell the younger man was a little horrified to even be asking such a thing.

Hershel took in the information, and the pleading eyes of the couple across from him and thought about their request. It was a simple request and something that any parent might be asked once their children were older.

He was a lucky man that his wife had taught their children well about finances and he taught them about home maintenance. All three children could cook, clean, sew and change their oil if they needed to. They were self-sufficient and Hershel was proud of all he and Annette had accomplished.

But seeing these two begging with their eyes, pleading their case, was something new and different and it made Hershel feel important in this moment. His daughter needed him and he would always be there for her or the others.

"Tell me about this place. What's it got?" he asked, taking a sip of his sweet tea and getting comfortable in his chair. Beth looked over at Daryl confused but turned back towards her father.

"Well, it's got five bedrooms," she started before Hershel nearly choked on his drink.

"What you two need five bedrooms for?" he asked with a chuckle.

"Well we need an office for me to work from and we were thinking that maybe Merle might move in with us," Beth defended. She looked worried and Hershel could see that wasn't something she wanted to talk about. Maybe these two weren't thinking that far into the future and really just liked the house.

"What else?" he asked.

"It's got a huge kitchen and dining room that would be great for family get-togethers. It's got a three car garage so we'll have room for both our cars plus Daryl's motorcycle." Beth continued on, getting more excited about each thing she listed off. "It's got huge vaulted ceilings, and three stone fireplaces."

"Lots of property too, almost 5 acres," Daryl added.

"Oh, and a theater room and the realtor said that they would leave their movie collection there since they didn't want it anymore." Beth bounced in place. She was grinning from ear to ear and Hershel continued to think it over. When he didn't respond anymore, Beth's smile fell and she wasn't sure what he was thinking anymore.

"How much do you have a down payment?" Hershel asked.

"We got about ten percent saved up, so fifty-five thousand," Daryl replied.

"The asking price is five hundred and fifty thousand then?" Beth blushed hard and nodded her head.

"They said that if we came up with more money than there would be less risk and they would allow us to be only ones on the loan," Beth explained.

"How much more do they say you need?"

Beth sighed. "They want more than fifty percent down so we would need another two hundred and twenty thousand dollars and that's just not possible."

"Why isn't that possible?" Hershel asked perplexed. "I think that's a better option than asking an old man like me to co-sign. Your insurance would be through the roof."

"Daddy, we said we didn't want to borrow money from you," Beth tried to reason with him but he shook his head.

"You aren't borrowing money from me, I'm giving it to you," he responded.

"I'm sorry sir, but we can't accept that," Daryl added.

"Well then it's not my money, it's your money your taking,"

"I don't understand," Beth stated, looking at Daryl and her father.

"After the accident, we all got a settlement through the insurance. Shawn already received his and with the money, he was able to open up his gym. I received a bit more than him for losing my leg and we got a large sum for the death of your mother." Hershel explained. "After I sold the farm and bought my condo in town, I've been living off the property money and will probably be able to do so for the rest of my life. I get disability from the government and my old age pension and I'm able to live comfortably."

"The money from the accident has been sitting in a bank account for quite some time now and after having a discussion with Shawn, we decided that between the three payouts, I would divide the money out evenly amongst all three of you. Shawn already received the majority of his and one I passed, the rest of it would be divided up."

"So you see my daughter, the money is already yours, I'm just going to be able to watch you enjoy it." Hershel finished.

There was a long pause before Beth could even speak. "I don't know what to say, dad,"

"You two can come with me to the lawyer's office and we can make the money available to you. You can choose to just take what you need, or you can take all of it."

"How much is there?"

"You're each to received about six hundred thousand dollars each. So you would still have about three hundred and some change leftover" Beth started laughing.

"You're kidding me, right?" she continued to laugh.

"I wouldn't kid about something like this," he spoke, offended.

"I'm sorry dad, but we were so worried about not getting this house and there's a possibility we can buy it completely."

"That is something that you could consider as well. It's a good investment property I'm assuming and with the money Daryl will be bringing in soon enough, you'll be set for life," The couple in front of him nodded their heads and smiled big and bright.

"You two discuss it after I leave and then you can let me know what your decision is." Beth ran over to her father and gave him the biggest hug she ever had, as he sat in his chair.

"You have made us very happy dad," she spoke in his ear.

"That's all I want from my children. Them to be happy," he spoke back to her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank You For Reading and Please Review


	21. Dixon vs. Martinez

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to those who nominated me for Best Work In Progress for this story. It means the world to me. Voting is now open if you want to vote for mine and other people's stories.

_An exciting time for you fans, as UFC 349 is just around the corner and the anticipated number one contender match between Dixon and Martinez is heating up. Both fighters are traveling to the host city as I post this, and they are gunning for one another._

  
_Martinez spoke to the media yesterday from his gym, giving his opinion on Dixon’s opportunities._

  
_“He’s a good fighter but he should have put in more time. I don’t mind fighting him, I got nothin’ to hide,” he spoke cautiously. “But I put years into my career before I was allowed my chance. Just think he needs to pay his dues,”_

  
_Greene Gym has no comment in response to Martinez’s statement._

* * *

 The house offer was accepted the night before they left to Pittsburgh. With all the stress of packing and last minutes details, they almost forgot they had put a bid in. Between packing both their bags and checking her e-mail every ten minutes, Beth barely registered that her phone was ringing until Daryl answered it for her.

  
He came rushing into the room, to hand her the phone when he realised who was on the other side. He listened as their realtor explained their offer was accepted and they would be able to move in, in thirty days. He grabbed Beth’s shoulder to turn her around and grinned at her as he mouthed, “We got the house!”

  
Beth screamed and jumped up and down, like a kid at Disneyworld. Daryl had to plug his ear and apologize for the noise. They made plans to speak after they returned from Pittsburgh, but that their lawyer would take care of the financials should they need.  
The phone call ended and Beth jumped up into Daryl’s arms, as they kissed and celebrated the fact that they got their dream home and it was paid for.

  
The night before the fight, Daryl was still awake, while Beth sleep peacefully beside him. They had a nice quiet dinner in, and relaxed in the jacuzzi tub before he worshipped her body into pleasure. It had become a ritual for them, before his fight, that they spend the evening together and relaxed. It was a great routine for them and Daryl always made sure that she was tuckered out from their sensual activities.

  
He wasn’t worried about his fight the next day, he seemed pretty calm about it. He was just pondering the rest of his life. He had a great career going for him, a great girl and family support. They were buying a house together and really cementing their lives to one another.

  
He loved her.

  
There was no doubt in his mind and he told her that at every available opportunity. She was everything he could have ever hoped for in a partner and she gave everything she could for him. They had been together for less than a year but it felt like it had been a decade. They knew each other, inside and out and confessed their darkest fears and biggest wishes. They supported one another and rarely ever fought, barring the usual disagreements on household chores or leaving laundry on the floor.  
He loved every bit of her and although it was fast, he couldn’t help but feel he wanted to marry her and have children with her. They barely spoke of marriage, let alone children but it would cement in his brain how permanent she is to him, and show the world that he’s the lucky guy she picked.

  
It wasn’t so much the idea of getting married that intimidated him, it was getting to that point. He made a mental checklist of all the things he needed to do before he could even ask her. He planned to talk to her father, and seek his blessing. Family was most important to her and this was a must.

  
He would also need to get a ring for her. That would be a tough one but he figured he could look online and then send Merle to go get it, if necessary. The last thing was the proposal and he knew he needed something special for that. She loved when he surprised her with little gifts and trinkets, or even breakfast in bed, so this would have to be memorable. He may need to seek out Maggie on this one since the two sisters talked all the time and most certainly had discussed their dream proposals at one point in their lives.

  
He figured at this time in life, when he was wanting to propose to a woman, he would be terrified and nervous but he only felt the tiny bit of nerves that one would expect. Beth was it for him and he was ready for this next step. He didn’t need to pull this off anytime soon so he could wait it out and plan their moment perfectly. He had one shot at this and he wanted it to be memorable for the both of them; a story they could tell their children and grandchildren one day.  
It put his head at ease to have thought everything through and he was finally able to get some much-needed sleep.

* * *

 

It was finally time for the main event and Daryl was already in the caged octagon, waiting for Martinez to come out. He had the backing of the crowd with their cheers and chanting of his name. Shawn, Abraham, and Merle all held his banner proudly, showing off his home gym and multiple sponsors he had earned in the past few months. He was aware of his surroundings, the referee, the judges. He felt their presence and knew where they were located. He also knew that Beth was sitting in the front row behind him, along with her father and Eugene. He pushed it to the back of his mind and waited, with slow, steady breaths for Martinez to come out.

  
The music started and the people cried out for his opponent. His entourage of staff and security flanked him on either side and he had the same look of determination as Daryl held on his own face. They stared each other down and Daryl, for once, felt the intimidation set in.

  
The majority of his other opponents did the whole showboating, cheering the crowd and could care less about him. They refused to look at him until the match started. Martinez, on the other hand, was a man like him and refused to look away. Even as the referee checked them both over, their eyes never left the other.

  
It was a battle of wills at this point and Daryl knew that he would not back down from the challenge.

  
The bell rang and both men jumped right into the action. They circled one another, Daryl going for a leg kick to try and get Martinez down. Martinez pulled the same move, grinning wildly at Daryl when neither one landed it.  
Daryl tried again and missed, leaving Martinez to do the same thing.

  
It became a game to them. Who would pull first and then the other would do the same. Daryl wondered if Martinez was trying to get into his head. Show him how he could do things better than the rookie fighter. Daryl refused to let those mind games enter his brain.

  
“One minute,” Shawn yelled from the sidelines, giving Daryl a clue to how long they’ve been doing this.

  
Martinez went for the right hand but bounced it off of Daryl’s forearm, leaving Daryl to give a hard left, which connected right on the cheek. Martinez brushed it off and tried a head kick but connected with a leg kick instead.  
Daryl came back quickly with a left hook and overhand right which connected and pushed Martinez to his knees. Daryl throws some body shots and a low kick to get him down but Martinez kept himself up, throwing some rib punches.  
Daryl backed off, getting his footing and breath back but it allowed Martinez to get right back up.

  
Daryl gave him another overhand right and a few body shots, which Martinez tried to block with his knees. The bell rang the end of the round, and both men returned to their corner. Daryl sat down on the stool provided while Abraham gave him water and checked his face for cuts.

“You gotta get in there, Daryl. Gotta keep up the pressure. You give him any time and he comes right back up. You get him down, you keep him down,” Shawn explained, over the yelling from the crowd. Daryl nodded in understanding.

“He’s got speed but you got the weight. Get him down and tap him out, little brother,” Merle piped in.

The break was over and the bell rung again signalling the next round. He rarely went to the second round, but this just proved how much of a competitor he was fighting. Martinez meant business and was not going to let go of his title without a fight.

Martinez got right into in, going for Daryl’s lead leg and trying to push him off his center. Daryl got right into Martinez’s face after that and pulled his own shots, right to the face and shoulders. Martinez tried to get a head kick in but Daryl blocked him, landing a right hand and body shot in return, then an elbow.

He knocked Martinez off balance once again and continued on his plight. He kept on swinging but Martinez kept eating it up, not wanting to give Daryl an inch of power over him. Finally, having enough, Daryl went for a couple leg kicks, really pushing his legs out to get Martinez down.

He’s not disappointed.

Martinez goes down and Daryl came right on top of him, grabbing his head and pulling it close to his chest. His right leg held Martinez’ body to one side, while his other leg swept over and held his body down. He held the Arm In Guillotine submission hold for no more than ten seconds before Martinez tapped out.

The crowd roared in amazement and once he felt the tap, he let go and allowed Martinez up. The ref comes between them but the look that passes over his adversaries face, shows one of completion and finality, and Daryl isn’t worried that the man will come after him again. He may not like that Daryl just won this match, but he respects this industry and wouldn’t cause trouble in it.

Daryl gets up from the mat and the ref is already lifting his arm in the air in victory, as the announcer makes it official. He can hear his team behind him, yelling as they press to get their pictures and all he wants to do is turn around so badly and look at his girl.

He can only imagine what she looks like but his mind can do no justice to her, because when he finally does get the chance to turn around, she’s screaming at the top of her lungs, elated that he won.

Abraham almost knocks him over with his bear hug, pulling him off the ground, cheering how great he was. Shawn and Merle are right there beside them, chanting his name as the crowd goes wild.

He was looking at this match as more of a victory, but when the announcer called him the number one contender for the heavyweight championship, he couldn’t help but feel in awe.

A year ago, he would have never fathomed that he would be in the professional leagues, nonetheless in line for a championship match, This was just too good to be true. If it wasn’t for his sore jaw from the punches, he would think he was dreaming.

But it’s true, he is the number one contender and he just has to beat Zach to become the champion. And there was nothing that was gonna stop him from beating Zach to the ground!

* * *

 

Daryl could feel the adrenaline come off of him, as he lounged in the shower. He was lucky this time around that he got his own dressing room with a private bathroom. Once he took his gear off, and everyone else left, he felt himself relax.

He wish he could have seen Beth. It was so crowded at the end of the night and he only saw her face in the crowd for a few seconds before he was being whisked away to do some interviews. Shawn said that she would take her dad back to the hotel and meet him there later.

As tired as felt, he also had a huge amount of adrenaline running through him and he couldn’t wait to see her and hold her close. He may have seen her only hours ago but after this win, he just wanted to hold his girl and bask in the glory.

He heard the door open to his bathroom and figured it was Merle wondering what was taking him so long. Someone has to stay back with Daryl so Merle had been volun-told. Merle was pretty impatient though and probably wanted to get to the bar for the after-party that Daryl refused to go to.

He turned off the water, and grabbed the towel hanging right outside the stall. Drying his hair and chest off quickly, he wrapped the towel around his waist and pulled open the shower curtain and was shocked to see Beth sitting on the counter, watching him seductively.

“What you doin’ here? Thought you was gonna be at the hotel?” he asked, shock still coursing through him. Rather than speak a word, she hopped down from the counter and walked the few steps towards him, grabbing his head with both of her hands and kissing him hard on the mouth.

This girl was full of surprises and he barely responded to her as she pressed her mouth eagerly to his. When she pulled back slightly, she looked up into his eyes and bit her lip. “Didn’t want to wait for the hotel,” she replied finally.

Once he registered what was happening and what she was implying, he finally got his act together and pulled her body right onto his and fused his mouth back onto hers. It was a tangle of limbs and grabbing at one another, trying to pull the other closer, which wasn’t even possible.

She was backed onto the vanity, his hands grabbing a fistful of her ass, while the other was trying to pull down her strapless dress.

“Fuck Beth,” he groaned as her tits were exposed to him and he thanked the lord above that she was small chested enough to never need a bra with these dresses.

His mouth easily latched onto her peaked nipple and she let out a wanton moan as he sucked hard. Her hands wandered up and down his body, pulling the towel free from the knot and letting it fall to the floor.

“I need you to fuck me,” Beth exclaimed as he bit down lightly on her breast. “Now” she begged.

He didn’t need to be told again, so he moved his hand from her behind to her front, reaching below her dress for the panties that were sure to be in the way but all he felt was her bare lips and dripping wet slit.

“What happened to your panties,” he kissed her collarbone, pushing her body back to lie against the mirror.

“Too wet,” she breathed heavily. Her back arched as his fingers dipped inside of her cunt to feel her insides drenched. She moaned loudly again, knocking her head against the mirror. He backed his body away from her but slid his hardness, up and down her slit, getting himself wet with her juices.

“What am I gonna do with you, girl?” he spoke with that low voice she loved so much. She looked right into his eyes, giving him the seductive stare that brought him to his knees.

“Make me cum,” she spoke back authoritatively.

He almost came with those words.

He replaced his fingers with his cock and slammed into her, hard. He held her body close so she wouldn’t hurt herself, but he wanted enough space so they could both see him slide in and out of her core.

He held onto her hips, pulling her down onto him as he thrusted back up and she whined at the pleasure that rocked through her body.

“Fuck you needed it bad, already gonna cum on my dick,” he groaned as he could start to feel flutters surround his hardness. She nodded her head and moaned out again, begging for him to go harder. “Touch yourself darlin’.”

Her fingers automatically went to her clit and she rubbed hard, closing her eyes. It felt so good and when she screamed out her orgasm, he almost lost it himself.

“Fuck, that was hot, Beth,” he said, as he continued to fuck her hard. She slowed down on her clit, but she was still playing with it, pinching it between her two fingers.

“Again,” she whined, clearly not sated enough yet. Pulling out of her pussy, he looked down at his length and saw how slick it was with her cum. He wanted to lick her to orgasm but that would wait. He needed to get out of this bathroom and onto their bed where he could take his time in worshipping her body.

So he turned her around, letting her face the mirror in front of them and pushed his dick right back inside of her. She moaned as he continued the frantic pace he had before, pulling her hips towards him. This time though, he was gonna get her there himself, and he spit down towards the crack of her ass, and smothered the saliva around her back opening.

It was something he had discovered not that long ago, and while she told him that anal sex was off the menu, she was down for a little bit of finger play. He pressed his thumb around the puckered skin there, pressing down every few thrusts. He could see her face in the mirror and she was in pure ecstasy. It would not take her long to get her to completion.

Wanting to change the angle, he pulled on her leg and placed her knee on the counter of the vanity. It was the perfect height where she was still aligned up to him, but now, he could pull her back even further on his dick.

Her mouth dropped open in a silent scream as the new angle hit that magical spot inside of her. Coupled with his hard thrusts and his thumb pushing just past her puckered hole, she was gone in less than five seconds.

Her orgasm was strong and her cunt grabbed onto his dick. She felt extremely tight and he lost his load in her within a minute. He felt his body pulse with each stream of cum and her body soaked it up like a sponge. It was amazing and he slumped down onto her body, relishing in the closeness.

“I’d say we need to shower, but I just wanna get back to the hotel and do that again,” she spoke through laboured breaths. When he connected eyes with her in the mirror, he could see the evil smile on her mouth and in her eyes.

“God I love when you get like this,” he responded, kissing her back and pulling himself from her warm heat.

“Me too,” she replied. He slapped her ass and grabbed his towel, wiping up their mixture of bodily fluids from her.

They were gonna be in for a long, fun night.


	22. Avalanche

_UFC 350 finished with a bang as we had some surprising wins in our middleweight category._

_Askham defeated Dempsey in a knockout in the first round, while Bisping and Mousasi defeated Silva and Leites in a unanimous decision, respectfully._

_We are still waiting on word from the Heavyweight class as Dixon is looking to cash in on his number one contender match from Smith. No word from either camp on details._

* * *

 

Beth heard another ding from her phone and rolled her eyes. She was trying to spend a nice afternoon, shopping with Daryl but her phone wouldn't stop with the messages and e-mails.

They all asked the same thing. When was Daryl's match gonna be, against Zach? If she had any clue, she would be answering them but as of right now, no one was getting back to her from Zach's team or the UFC.

It was aggravating and was wreaking havoc on Beth's attitude. They were moving into their new home in two days, and they needed to get all the last minute things. It was just a giant list of things to do and Beth was both overwhelmed and stressed. Adding in this whole Zach issue wasn't helping her any.

They were at bedding store, and Beth couldn't help but argue with Daryl over their bedding options. He wanted something simple and a solid color and she wanted different colors put together.

"Why do the sheets have to have polka dots on them? Why can't we just do the plain grey?" he asked. Beth huffed in annoyance.

"Because the duvet cover and throw pillows are sold brown. The navy polka dots are gonna give it some texture," she tried to explain.

"Then why are we gettin' this textured cover thing?" He pointed towards their cart.

"The coverlet goes over the bottom of the bed. The sheets are only going to be seen from the top of the bed,"

"It's a bed," he scoffed. "It's for sleepin. You take half this shit off before anyways."

"I still want it to look nice!" she threatened with a glare.

"Well, you're actin crazy over some damn sheets. Don't know why you asked me to come when you were just gonna go your own way."

"Because I do want your opinion!" she almost yelled but held back to keep from embarrassing the two of them. "I just want our bedroom to be nice and relaxing and you just want to pick the easiest option."

"Cause that's what I'm used to," he defended. "I don't need twenty pillows, Beth. One on a couch is good for me,"

"I am not starting again on the throw pillows!" she pleaded, exasperated with talking. Just then her phone started ringing and she felt her fists clench. She was so not in the mood anymore to do anything.

She grabbed her phone from her bag and answered without even checking the caller ID.

"Beth Greene, she answered curtly.

"Ms. Greene, this is Rosita Esponsita from Fighter Online. I was wondering if you had any comment about the news of Zach Smith's accident?"

"Accident, what accident?" she replied unsurely. She looked over at Daryl who was trying to figure out what she was talking about.

"Yes, Zach got into a skiing accident in Switzerland. He's going to be laid up for the next little while out there. I'm surprised you haven't heard about it since the news broke about an hour ago." The woman had a condescending tone to her voice and it was the last straw that Beth could take.

"No, there is no comment," Beth quickly hung up and threw her phone back in her bag.

"What was that about, what accident?" Daryl asked eagerly. Beth sighed and turned towards him.

"Zach got into a skiing accident so he's out for the time being," she relayed to him.

"How long? He break somethin'?"

"I don't know Daryl," she snapped. "I just found out about this thirty seconds ago."

Daryl closed his mouth but continued to stare down at Beth. She could tell he was just as angry as she was but she didn't care. She had been at the center of all this for too long and she was just done with it.

"Let's just pay for this and go home. I need to find out what's going on and let the team know," Beth trembled as she spoke, grabbing the shopping cart and pushing it towards the cashier. She was so angry but at the same time, she just wanted to sit down and cry, right here in the middle of the store.

She knew Daryl would follow her and as they completed their transaction, and loaded their bags into the car, he remained quiet which Beth was thankful for. She was on edge and she didn't need anything spoken between them right now.

As soon as they dropped off their purchase at the apartment, Beth got into her car and went to the gym. Daryl made no move to go with her, so she figured he would entertain himself for the next while.

She went straight to her office and closed the door, hoping that everyone would leave her alone. She needed to find out more about Zach and see where they stood on the next match. It was the last thing she wanted to be doing at the moment but this was her job and she needed to take care of it.

There were already several articles about Zach's incident and he would be staying in Sweden while he recuperates. No word yet on what the injuries were but if he was staying in a hospital, that could be numerous things.

Concussion, broken bones, torn ligaments. The list was endless.

She emailed Carol at UFC head office and asked to be told whatever they knew, once they had more information. If she needed to find another fight for Daryl, she wanted to get Merle on that as soon as possible.

If Daryl wasn't fighting, he wasn't making any money.

She had half a thought of Zach doing this on purpose. The guy had enough endorsement deals that he could be off for two years and he would be fine. Daryl, on the other hand, was just beginning his career and while he did have some endorsements, they weren't long term yet. If he was champion, then the tables would turn.

Beth sighed and rubbed her hands over her face. It was a silly delusion to think that Zach plotted against Daryl. He had no reason to and Beth figured she was just stressed from the move going on. She was actually happy to be moving into their new home and even happier that Merle was not coming with them.

Since Daryl started earning some good income from his fights now, Merle was getting a nice size cut from the earnings. He was leaving the apartment that Shawn had gotten the two brothers in the beginning and was moving into a single bedroom, a few floors down.

From his words, he was a grown ass man who could afford his own place now and he really didn't want to be around a couple of "newlyweds" any longer. Beth laughed when he said that, realizing he wasn't far off. They were in the honeymoon phase of their relationship….

Or they were….

Beth had found herself getting a little more snappy with Daryl lately but it was because of his newfound fame and the move. At least, she hoped it was. They could have little squabbles every now and again but it seemed to be augmenting every time. The store incident this afternoon was probably the worst but they had two different types of styles and they were obviously gonna conflict over it.

That's what couples did, didn't they?

She didn't really know seeing as she never really moved in with Zach, just stayed over at this place frequently. So she was completely in new territory with all this. Daryl was too which was probably why he didn't back down from her attitude too often.

One of the things about serious relationships is having to go back and apologize when you were in the wrong and Beth knew they both had some groveling to do. She did love him and this was stupid to fight over anyway.

She was getting ready to leave when her phone dinged with an incoming email. It was from Carol and it gave her all the information she would need. She passed it along to Shawn and Merle with a small message and made her way back home.

"Daryl?" Beth called out from the front door with some bags of take away in her hands. "You home?"

She heard a grunt from the bedroom and figured he was in there. She placed the food on the counter and followed his original noise to his location.

Sure enough, he was in their bedroom where he was packing up her clothing and shoes into boxes. She felt incredibly bad that he was here, by himself doing something that should have been her job but that's the kind of guy Daryl is. He would do anything for her.

He made no other sounds and continued his work and Beth knew he was still angry with her. She had snapped at him and while he was asking dumb questions, Beth could have been a little nicer to him in her attitude.

She crossed the room before he could go back into the closet and wrapped her arms around his torso, squeezing him tight. She felt him stop moving and sigh deeply, and she knew he needed this, just as much as her.

"I'm sorry," she spoke into his back, kissing him gently and laying her head between his shoulder blades.

"Sorry too," He replied. They continued to stand there in silence, just feeling this moment between them.

"Zach's out for 8 weeks, broken tibia," she finally spoke. Daryl remained quiet and she could only assume he was trying to process that information.

"What's the plan then?" he finally asked. Beth let go and turned Daryl around so he would face her.

"I don't know," she replied, matter of factly. "I emailed Shawn to let him know and I also told him that I'm taking two weeks off,"

Daryl was slightly taken back. "Why?"

"Cause I'm stressed out with all of this and I don't want to deal with work," Beth answered. "I want to handle one thing at a time and first, we need to focus on moving into our house together."

"You've been actin' weird the past few days," Daryl arched his eyebrow. "You sure it's just work?"

"Yes, I'm sure." she smiled. "I think taking time off and focusing on other things will make me happier. And then Merle can start handling your stuff. He's your manager, I'm just your rep."

"Well, I like the idea of you takin' time off and puttin' some of it on Merle. He needs to earn his money now." Daryl joked. Beth smiled and wrapped her arms around Daryl's neck.

"I brought home some dinner for us. Figure we can enjoy a stress-free night,"

"I love that idea!" he replied, picking her up and kissing her. She giggled as he swept her up and brought her into the kitchen. Time off is exactly what she needed.


	23. History Repeats Itself

It was hard to believe but it had been over a year since Daryl had met Beth. It was the 15th Annual Fighting For A Cause fundraiser and this year, Daryl was proud to have Beth on his arm, rather than pining away for her from afar.

He also wished that he could have been fighting Zach in a re-match this year but the guy was still out with a broken leg.

He was asked to fight again this year as the challenger this time around. He had his choice of charities to donate to and who is opponent would be. He and the team had talked a lot about who he could pick and they all agreed on the same person. Tyrese Williams

He was a fair fighter, someone that Daryl had already had a match against and respected very much. Daryl even called Tyrese himself and offered to split the money fifty-fifty so each man could donate to the cause of their choice.

Daryl would be donating to Shawn’s foundation, obviously and Tyrese had chosen a charity that supported after-school programs for children in higher risk gang areas. Daryl completely understood why programs like that were needed, as his own childhood could have used something like that. He donated five thousand dollars to the charity anonymously so he could help them out too.

He was excited to be fighting again but he was nervous. It had nothing to do with the fight, he was as calm as a cucumber.

He decided that this would also be the night that he asked Beth to marry him.

It wasn’t a hard decision to make. Last year had been so different with his loss and then pushing himself away from Beth because he felt he got distracted by her. This year, they had so much going for them.

The new house, which they were completely moved into now. They had compromised on a lot of the new furnishings, and she made sure he had his own space to do his own thing, as she had her own office done to her liking. Their bedroom was their sanctuary, and Daryl did have to admit, with all the pillows all over the bed, it made it look inviting and comfy. Many afternoons, he and Beth would just lounge on the bed and talk about their week, and everything upcoming.

He had a great career with a match coming up next month at the next pay-per-view. He would be fighting a newer fighter named Dwight Simmons who was just getting his feet wet. Most people would call this match, beneath Daryl as he was the number one contender, but Daryl saw it as an opportunity to increase his standings and give this new guy a taste of where he could be at in a year.

All in all, he had a great life and he wanted to make things more permanent with Beth. With Hershel’s blessing and the ring in his bag, he was more than prepared. He was just nervous as hell to actually do the proposing.

He had never been a man of many words, in fact, he continuously wondered how he maintained a relationship with Beth when he was so quiet. But that was all Beth. She brought it out of him and never pushed him to speak more than he needed to. He wanted to open up to her and tell her all the dark secrets of his past. He had never opened up to anyone in his entire life, as much as he did with her and he couldn’t imagine spending his life with anyone other than her.

He had plans after the fight to do some quick schmoozing with the event coordinators and sponsors but then he planned on taking Beth out to the river by their home and ask her to marry him.

It wasn’t very original or highly romantic but it was them.

She didn’t need the grand gesture, and would never ask him to give her that. She was a simple country girl and he was gonna do it in the simplest ways. Because the proposal was just a tiny moment in the decades they would be spending together, as husband and wife.

Things had gotten much better since Beth had taken the time off work to setup their house and make it their home. She was way less stressed and was getting the proper amount of sleep a human being should get. She was teaching Merle everything he could do now as his manager and she was working way less.

Since Daryl’s schedule was a little more predictable, Beth worked while he was at the gym and only worked from home when things needed her attention. Her meetings with Shawn and Maggie were held at the gym during the day, and they all learned that there was a difference between business time and family time.

Daryl had been laying in bed pondering all this, while Beth slept soundly beside him. He found he couldn't sleep the past few nights with everything that was going to happen tonight. It would be a great match but the proposal still gnawed at him.

He held her close with his arms wrapped around her tight. Her head lay on his arm, and his hands were clasped together on his chest. They had more times like this and Daryl loved it. They continued their tradition of spending the night before a fight, just the two of them. They relaxed and made love for hours, sleeping when they were both fully sated and exhausted.

Their lovemaking had changed from the frenzied pace it had started out with. More often than not, it would be slow and sensual, building up to their orgasms in the most delightful way. They still had their moments of hard and fast but those were reserved for the moments where they were pressed for time. Early morning or afternoon quickies were a constant thing, but late nights were reserved for taking their time.

He had hoped maybe they would have time this morning but he knew she also needed her sleep. She had been so tired for the past few weeks as this fundraiser came closer so he wanted to give her as much time to rest as possible.

He decided to get up and start his morning, so he carefully rolled Beth onto her side of the bed and kissed her forehead, releasing her from his arms. She cuddled into the blankets without much movement and Daryl got up from the bed as quietly as possible.

He came down the stairs and walked to their kitchen. He loved the wood cabinets and cement countertops. He pulled his shake from the fridge and added the protein powder that was pre-measured for him. As grateful as he was to have his meals completely made for him, he did wish he had a little more flexibility in what he ate.

He shook the concoction together and went to stand by the back window that faced their wooded area. The sun was up and shining already, the sky a brilliant blue color. It was going to be a good day.

* * *

 

Daryl had driven himself and Merle to the venue a few hours before the match. He had his own dressing room and he wanted to get himself ready, as well as have his suit there for afterward. Beth and her family would be taking a limo later on, so Daryl had left her to get ready at her sister’s place.

He was sitting on the bench, getting his mind focused when his brother came back into the room.

“Greene's are on their way,” he spoke while studying his brother. “You okay, little brother?”

Daryl hadn’t told a single person he was proposing tonight and he didn’t want any chance of anyone spilling the beans. So he was forced to play off his nerves from fear of the match and not what he had planned later on.

“Just some big shoes to fill from last year,”

“You worry too much bout the past. Gotta live in the present,” Merle scolded him. “Great men learn from their mistakes.”

“Yeah, I learned my lesson. Zach is a manipulative little bitch who needs to have his ass handed to him.” Daryl replied.

“That time will come, but you gotta get through Williams first,” Daryl nodded. One step at a time, he thought.

“Hey, you don’t mind catchin a ride with the Greene’s back, do you? Me and Beth are gonna skip out early,”

“I ain’t your mama. Do what you want.” Merle chuckled. “Might find a sweet hunny to go home with tonight anyways.”

“Heaven help that woman,” Daryl muttered under his breath. Merle must have heard him because he laid a big slap on the back of Daryl’s head and whispered asshole as he walked past him.

He heard a knock on his dressing room and Merle went to see who it was. Of course, he opened it up to let the Greene family in, first Shawn then Hershel. The girls came up the back, and Daryl nearly lost his breath with how beautiful Beth looked.

Her hair was down and pulled down on one side. She had a beige colored dress with some black lace overtop of it. Her lips were painted a dark red, which contrasted her pale skin and hair.

She did look a little pale tonight….

He pulled her into a hug and kissed the crown of her head. “You feelin’ okay?” he asked. She pulled back and looked confused at him.

“I’m okay. It’s just been a long day getting ready,” she replied.

“You eat? Look like y’wanna pass out,”

“I did. My dad brought over some sandwiches. Plus they always have a ton of food here,”

“M’kay,” he said, but wasn’t sure if he really believed himself. He knew that her family would keep an eye on her during the match, but afterward, he would keep her by his side the rest of the night.

As per their fight night ritual, the group stood in a circle and Hershel led them in prayer. It was something he never really thought about prior to meeting the Greene’s but he found that these simple few minutes allowed his head to clear and for him to regain his focus.

He pushed back everything else that was on his mind and focused on the fighter that would be in front of him. It was a good thing too because, with this looming proposal, he needed to get his head back on straight, or at least for the next hour.

With their prayer finished and a goodbye to everyone in the room, they all took their seats, while Shawn and Merle stayed behind to bring Daryl to the ring. It was sure to be a good fight.

* * *

 

Something was wrong as he looked at the crowd, being declared the winner of the match. He had seen were Maggie and Beth were sitting when he started his match, and after that, he was focused on what was going on in front of him.

Now that the fight was over, and he had his arm raised in victory, he looked for his blonde angel and she was nowhere to be seen. Hershel wasn’t in his seat either and he couldn’t tell what happened. Shawn and Merle came into the ring to congratulate him and he looked to Shawn for answers.

“Where did you family go?” he asked, above the roar of the crowd. Shawn looked over and was just as surprised as he was.

“Don’t know. Maybe they went to the dressing room already?” he replied. Daryl nodded, and after a manly hug to Tyrese, he went in search of his missing girlfriend.

When they did arrive back, he was relieved to see Hershel sitting in one of the armchairs, but looked around and couldn’t find either of the man’s daughters.

“They girls left already. Beth wasn’t feeling well and Maggie took your car to drive her home. She’s gonna bring it back so you can leave early.”

“I wanna leave now,” Daryl said panicked. “I knew she didn’t look good when she got here,”

“She was fine, but then again, she would have said anything to convince us to let her come tonight,” Hershel replied calmly.

“Let me get changed and then I’m outta here,”

“Daryl, you gotta stick around for a little bit,” Shawn stated hesitantly. He must have known how concerned Daryl was because he was actually a little scared right now.

“No, I gotta go be with Beth,”

“Maggie’s bringing the car back for you, as soon as she comes back, then you can leave,” Hershel suggested, giving Shawn a knowing look. Daryl nodded and went to go get showered and changed.

He was uncomfortable being paraded around the venue with Shawn. Everyone wanted to meet Daryl Dixon and as much as he needed to make the contacts, his mind was elsewhere.

On Beth more specifically.

As often as he could get away with, he was checking his watch, waiting to see how much longer. Hershel had yet to come over and get him, so he could grab his keys and it had been about forty-five minutes since he had been out here. Surely, it wouldn’t take that long to drop Beth off at home and come back. They didn’t live that far away.

Daryl was getting impatient and really, he just wanted to get out of here and take care of Beth. She was rarely sick, and he sincerely hoped that it wasn’t anything too serious. He would put off his proposal plans if she was stuck in bed or something, but if she was okay, he still wanted to go through with his plans.

After an hour of waiting, he had enough. He grabbed Shawn by the arm and pulled him into a quieter corner.

“I’ve been waitin’ an hour already. I wanna go and see Beth,”

“It’s been an hour already?” Shawn asked, looking at his watch. “Yeah, let’s go find my dad. Maybe he talked to one of them.”

They quickly made their way around the room, looking for Hershel. They found Merle, who had not seen the old man in quite some time and all of them started to panic. They split up, looking everywhere they could for the patriarch. Finally, Daryl found him in the hallway, on the phone with someone and looking just as pale as Beth did earlier.

He grabbed Hershel’s arm and turned him towards him. He caught the end of the phone call and by Hershel’s expression, he was troubled.

“Thank you, we will head right over,” He spoke with a quivering voice. Daryl could tell the man was on the verge of tears and he knew that whatever he was about to say would hurt him.

“That was the sheriff's office. Maggie and Beth were in a car accident.” Hershel explained and Daryl had to hold the wall to keep himself from falling over. His head suddenly felt light and the room started to spoon but he kept his composure and pushed it all down.

“They’re okay though, right?” he asked, not really sure he wanted to know the answer.

“Maggie is talking and seems to be shaken up mostly…” Hershel trailed off.

“What bout Beth?” Daryl asked as calmly as he could. Hershel paused, his eyes filling with fresh tears.

“She hasn’t woken up yet and they hit on the passenger side where she was sitting,” Daryl knew that this wasn’t good and turned on his heels to go and flag a taxi down. He could hear Hershel calling after him but he had only one thing on his mind right now.

Get to Beth.


	24. A Better Story Ending

Maggie laid in her hospital bed as the doctors looked over her body for more possible injuries. So far, she had a bruised torso from the seat belt holding her back in her seat and some glass in her face. She was lucky to have gotten by without serious injury but unfortunately, Beth wasn’t that lucky.

The truck that hit them, came reeling through the stop sign on the back road to her house. He was going full speed and then some and hit her directly on the passenger side. The vehicle got pushed right through the intersection for a few hundred yards and then rolled to its side.

It all happened so fast that by the time she realized what had happened, they were already stuck in the car and the truck was speeding away.

Because things couldn’t get any worse.

She felt the blood trickle onto her face from where Beth was hunched over. Maggie panicked but could see that she was still breathing. But the door had crushed into his sister’s petite body and Maggie almost lost her dinner from the amount of glass that had rained down onto both their bodies.

She was thankful that Daryl’s car had OnStar because she soon heard the voice of a representative come through and ask if they were alright.

“We got into an accident. The truck that hit us ran off. My sister is unconscious and we both need medical attention.” Maggie pleaded.

“We are sending medical attention and police to your location, Mrs. Dixon.” the voice replied. Maggie couldn’t help but snicker. Wrong sister, lady. “Are you able to get out of the vehicle, ma’am?”

“No, we’re laying on our side, driver side. The truck hit is from the passenger.”

“Sending a tow service out as well.” The voice confirmed. “Is your sister still breathing?” Maggie looked over.

“Yes, I can see her chest moving but her body is laying limp. She’s bleeding pretty bad from the glass.”

“Okay I have all services on route to you but because of your GPS location, it’s gonna take a little bit longer than normal to get to you. I want you to stay on the line with me and keep talking. Please let me know if your sister’s condition worsens.”

“Thank you,” Maggie moaned out, feeling the aftershock pains course through her.

“Can you tell me your names?”

“I’m Maggie Greene, my sister is Beth Greene. She’s the Mrs. Dixon you were looking for,” Maggie joked, laughing through the pain.

“My apologies. We have the car registered with a Daryl Dixon. Do you need me to contact him?”

“No, he won’t be reachable. He’s in the middle of something right now,” Maggie thought about his match and hoped to hell that he won. Cause this would just ruin his night.

“Mmmmmmm,” Beth moaned from the seat next to her sister. Maggie twisted as best she could to see her sister trying to move.

“Beth! Oh my god, you’re okay,” Maggie yelled out, trying to reach her arm out.

“Hurts,” Beth groaned,”

“I know, we got into a car accident and there is help on the way,”

“Baby….okay….” she spoke softly, as she slipped into unconsciousness again.

What?

Did she just say baby?

Was Beth pregnant?

Maggie’s head was spinning a mile a minute at this point and she was glad to hear the sirens coming at that moment, because she felt herself start to feel nauseous and the possible slip.

Holy shit!

Once the representative was sure that helped had arrived, she hung up the call and soon Maggie had the voices of first responders surrounding her.

“You okay ma’am?” called a male voice.

“I’m okay but my sister isn’t,”

“What’s her name?”

“Beth Greene,” Maggie replied. They assessed the situation quickly and covered up both women with a blanket so that they could push out the front windshield.

“Just hang tight and we’re gonna get you both out,” the voice called again. Maggie waited for the glass to come flying at her again but thankfully, they managed to get it out in giant pieces. Once it was out, they had paramedics checking on both girls.

“What’s your name Miss?” an asian man crouched down beside her. “I’m Glenn.

“Maggie,” she responded.

“You got a couple of gashes on your face and arm, are you hurting anywhere else?” he asked, flashing a light in her face.

“Just my chest where the seat belt is,”

“Does it hurt to breathe? Anything in your lungs?”

“No, it feels alright,”

“Okay, we’re gonna try and push the car up and get you both out of here.” Glenn talked her through the procedure and Maggie could see another paramedic working on Beth, who was bleeding a lot more than Maggie was.

“She might be pregnant,” Maggie yelled at the female, who was dabbing the blood away from Beth’s eyes. She turned to look over at her.

“Might be?” she arched her eyebrow.

“She was murmuring about if the baby was alright. I had no clue but it’s possible she could be,”

“Thanks,” she replied, getting back to Beth. “We’re gonna need an ultrasound machine waiting. Possible pregnancy,” the lady yelled to the other crew.

This was all overwhelming for her and she suddenly just felt tired and closed her eyes.

* * *

 When she opened her eyes again, she was in the back of the ambulance. The attendant, Glenn, was busy working on her IV and smiled when she finally came to.

“Was getting worried there. Welcome back to the world.”

“What?” Maggie replied, drowsily.

“You passed out for a bit but we managed to get you and your sister out of the car and we’re on our way to the hospital. The sheriff is following behind us because he wants to ask you some questions.” He smiled. "You up for that, Maggie?”

“Yes, I think so,” she tried to smile back but things started hurting everywhere.

“We’re gonna get you some pain meds in just a minute.”

“Feel like I’ve been hit by a truck,”

“Well, that’s most likely what happened so at least you got that right,” Glenn joked. His co-worker just rolled his eyes at him.

“I might laugh at that one later,” Maggie retorted.

It wasn’t that much longer in the ambulance and from there, it was just chaos. The doctors had finally finished looking her over, ordering a chest x-ray to make sure that nothing was broken and she was left alone in the room.

Or that’s what she thought would happen.

The sheriff came in and Maggie recognized him. Rick Grimes was well known around the city of Senoia and he was always a help when they needed some police back up at the gym from crazy fans.

“Officer Grimes,” Maggie sagged into her bed in relief. He removed his hat and placed it on the seat next to her bed.

“Miss Greene, good to see you again,”

“I bet not in this situation though,” Maggie smiled. Rick smirked and nodded his head.

“I gotta take your statement about what happened but should I be calling your dad or your brother?” Rick explained.

“Yeah, call my dad. He most likely has a phone on him,” Maggie spoke out the telephone number and Rick excused himself to the hallway to make the call. It was a little nerve-wracking with how her father would take it. He would for sure get himself here as quickly as possible.

They were waiting for her to come back with the car so they probably already noticed that she was late. Her purse and phone were gods know where probably lying with the rubble of the car. She was thankful they were okay, but it brought back a lot of bad memories for the last time this had happened.

She was happy to have Rick in the same room as her again, as she didn’t want to get lost in her mind again. There was so much hurt and suffering the last time, she didn’t know if she could get through it again if something were to happen to Beth.

Rick grabbed his notepad from his pocket and a pen and got ready to take Maggie’s statement. It was all the standard questions to begin with, where were you, where were you traveling, did you have anything to drink tonight.

Although she had a drink while they watch the charity match, it certainly did nothing to impede her driving. She was a cautious driver, probably the best out of all three of the kids, and she knew her limit. She had been nowhere even near it.

Trying to remember the accident was a little harder though.

“We had the right away and this truck blew right past the stop sign at full speed. He was probably going twenty miles over the speed limit.”

“Did you see him coming? that intersection doesn’t have any trees or bush to hide other vehicles.”

“No, he had the lights turned off because it was pretty dark outside already,” Maggie explained.

“After the car hit, do you remember what happened?”

“We were on the side, so I didn’t see anything. Just heard the truck squeal his tires and drive away.”

“You remember anything about the truck?” Rick looked up from his notepad.

“It was black, dark tinted windows, couldn’t even see the person inside it.” Maggie described.

‘We’re gonna keep an eye out for it, but it ain’t lookin too good.” Rick finished writing down his notes. “That guy is miles away at this point,”

“I figured. I’m just worried about Beth right now,”

“Yeah, your dad was a little shaken. Said he would tell your brother Shawn and Daryl what was going on. I’m gonna wait for them by the entrance for when they get here.” Rick grabbed his hat to leave. Maggie grabbed his arm before he could go any further.

“Can you tell Daryl to come and see me first. I wanna talk to him before he sees the doctor.”

Rick nodded. “I’ll do my best,”

Once he left the room, she felt herself calm down a bit. He had the information he needed and hopefully, this guy would be caught. They never found the person who hit Shawn’s car so this just felt like history repeating itself.

She just hoped for a better ending to this story.

* * *

 

It took another hour before anyone she knew came back to see her. Nurses came in and checked her vitals, she had gone to get her chest x-ray done and had come back to a light snack waiting for her. It was an agonizing wait for her, and she only hoped that her dad found Daryl and Shawn right away.

She heard a timid knock on the door and called for them to enter. She was sitting in a hospital gown and the blankets covered up her body. Just as she hoped, she saw Daryl poke his head in the door and once he recognized her, he let himself in.

He was still in his suit, although the tie was gone and the buttons were undone. He looked worried and frankly, Maggie couldn’t blame the guy. His girlfriend was laying in another room and she had no idea how she was doing yet.

“Sherriff said to come see you first. He told me what happened already,” Daryl spoke softly, his voice hoarse and low. He was visibly upset and he probably was trying to hold back his emotion.

“Yeah, I wanted to tell you something before you went to see Beth,”

“She okay?” he asked, looking up from behind his hair. He gnawed on his lip as he waited for her to answer.

“I’m not sure. They haven’t told me much since we got here. The doctor said he would find out more and let me know.” Maggie explained.

“Can I see her then?” Daryl asked, with a hint of annoyance in his tone. Maggie got it, she really did, but this was important to him as well as Beth as he needed to hear it.

“Yes, but I need to tell you something about Beth. The doctors might tell you, but I wanted you to hear it from family.” Daryl’s face dropped. “Beth woke up for a few moments after the crash and she said something about the baby being alright.”

“She’s pregnant?” Daryl asked. He looked shocked so it was obvious even he didn’t know.

“I’m not sure, but that was such an odd thing for her to say. I told the paramedics and they were gonna give her an ultrasound and confirm if she was or not.” Maggie’s brow furrowed. “I didn’t tell anyone else because if it’s true, then I’m worried that something happened to it and….” she had to grasp her breath and hold back the tears. “Just ask the doctor when you talk to them.”

Daryl nodded and was about to leave the room when he turned back to look at Maggie. “You okay?”

“Just a few bruises, I’m gonna pull through.” She smiled at his compassion. “Go see your girl. Give her a kiss from me,” Daryl nodded and had a small smile on his face as he left.


	25. A Fighter

Beth could feel the stiffness in her muscles as she slowly started to move her body. The last thing she remembered was being in the car with Maggie and then it was all a blur from there. She could hear beeping around her, and her face was incredibly itchy. She hadn’t opened her eyes yet but she could only assume that she was in a hospital, as this place always had a certain smell about it.

As she did finally open her eyes, she noticed the lights were turned down low and the curtains were drawn over the windows. It was hard to tell what time of day it is but there was some light peeking through so it must be the day.

She turned to her left and saw a machine hooked up to her, monitoring her blood pressure and heart rate. She felt the cuff on her arm and the prong stuck to her fingertip. She also felt a belt across her abdomen and pulled her hospital gown away to see what it was.

She then noticed the cast on her right arm.

Her breathing started to harden and the heart rate monitor started to pick up on it’s beeping. She felt panic rise in her chest but a voice came over her and spoke soft words to her.

“It’s okay Beth, you’re okay,” Daryl’s voice soothed her, as he touched her hand softly. She looked over to see where he came from and noticed a recliner in the corner with a blanket now thrown on the floor.

He touched her face with his hand and she was drawn into the gesture, leaning her head into his touch. To look into his face, she saw hesitation and worry but she began to calm down, knowing he was with her.

Just then, then door to her room opened and an older woman came into the room.

“Everything okay in here,” she asked, walking over to the machine. “You finally woke up, my dear.”

Beth nodded, not quite sure what she was feeling at the moment.

“It’s perfectly normal to wake up in a panic. But you’re safe and taken care of,” she responded with a smile. “I’m your nurse for today, Deanna.”

Beth looked over at Daryl and he nodded to her, letting her know that everything was okay.

“I’m just gonna let the doctor know that you’re awake. He’ll probably be in, in a few minutes.” Deanna said, pressing a few buttons on her IV. She grabbed Beth’s chart and wrote down something quickly and then left the room.

Once the door closed behind her, Beth looked back to Daryl.

“What happened?” she asked shyly, her throat dry as the desert. Daryl grabbed the water from beside her bed and handed it to her gently, making sure she had a grasp of the tumbler and straw before letting go.

“You and Maggie got into a car accident the night of the charity match. Hit n’ run.” he explained. She took a quick sip of water and gave him back the cup. She was about to speak when Daryl caught her first. “Maggie’s fine. She got a few cuts and scrapes but she’s already back home.”

“What about me? What about...the..” Beth started to tear up. She couldn’t stand to hear about the news of her pregnancy, knowing it most likely ended.

“Baby’s fine, you’re both fine,” Daryl said with a smile, gently touching Beth’s hair on her head. “Broken wrist, brusied ribs and some cuts on your face. Was most worried bout your head; you’ve been out for awhile.”

“How long?” Beth asked.

“Three days,” Daryl sighed. “Scariest three days of my life.”

“Oh my god,” she began to tear up. She had been asleep for three days, and Daryl has been waiting for her to wake up. Her dad and siblings must have been beside themselves too.

“My dad…” she wept.

“They’re waitin on my call.They come and visit and knew you’d wake up.” Daryl tried to console her.

“But after my mom…”

“He was beside himself Beth, not gonna lie. But you made it,” Beth continued to cry as Daryl held her hand. He grabbed a tissue to blot away her tears but she continued. She was upset over everything she just learned and the pain she put everyone through.

It was all so overwhelming and with her added hormones, she was a sobbing mess. But Daryl, being himself, was right there with her, letting her get it all out.

There was a knock at her door and a body poked it’s head in.

“Miss Greene, I hear you’re awake.” the doctor came in, followed by Deanna. “I’m Dr. Edwards, I’ve been taking care of you while you’ve been here.” His face became concerned when he saw Beth’s face, red and puffy from crying.

“I just told her everythin’. She’s just reactin to that’” Daryl explained. Dr. Edwards nodded.

“Well, if you are feeling up to it, I’d like to examine you to see how you are fairing. I’m sure your fiancee here would like to make some phone calls,” He asked. Beth turned towards Daryl.

“Could you phone my dad please. I want to see him and Shawn, and Maggie too,” She begged.

“Course darlin’” he smoothed her hair and kissed her forehead. He got up from his stool and grabbed his phone from his recliner bed.

Once he left the room, Beth sighed and wiped her face with the cloth that Deanna had given her.  
He sat down in the stool that Daryl had vacated and looked over her chart.

“Do you feel any dizziness or lightheadedness?”

“No, just a headache, very light,” she replied.

“The headache could be due to numerous things, hitting your head being the most likely. We took an MRI to make sure you didn’t have any internal bleeding or swelling of the brain. Everything looked normal but we’re still gonna air on the side of caution.” He explained.

“Deanna, can you order her a light lunch, we’ll see if she can keep it down,” he motioned to Deanna who was checking all the vitals. Dr. Edwards grabbed his flashlight and shined the light in her eyes to check her responsiveness.

“So far, everything is looking good. Dr. Carson will be down in the next hour to check on the fetal monitoring and probably do an ultrasound again to make sure baby is still doing okay,”

“Does my family know about the baby?” Beth asked, touching her stomach, along with the fetal monitor that was attached to her.

“I only told Mr. Dixon. I’m not sure what he told everyone else.”

“What about the rest of me,” Beth held up her arm to show off the cast.

“The wrist is fractured. You’re gonna need a minimum six week with that guy. Then we’ll x-ray to see how it’s healed and you’ll probably go into a soft cast for some time after.” He pulled down her blanket and brought up her gown to show her the ribs were taped.

“The bruising on your ribs wasn’t substantial but they will be sore. Probably be best you eat lightly for the next week until they feel better. Throwing up could cause more pain.” He carefully pressed on each side and she winced at the tinge of pain it brought. “You are bruised on your upper chest from the seatbelt but that was a given.

“And my face?” she hesitated to ask but knew something had happened.

“The car was struck from the passenger side so a lot of the glass flew towards you. Once the airbags deployed, you got a lot of glass pushed inside of the skin. It took us a few hours but we got it all out, cleaned and stitched up the larger cuts.

Beth was never a vain person but to hear how cut up her face probably was, was heartbreaking. She could feel some bandages and tape on her face but could feel the stitches on her eyebrow as she moved them. The slight pull reminded her that they were there.

“Stitches will all come out in the next few days, probably before you leave. For now, we’re gonna give you some tylenol to help with pain.”

“Thank you Dr. Edwards,” she replied with a small smile.

“It was my pleasure. And I’m glad you were okay. It was hard enough watching your fiance watching you for the past few days. I can’t imagine how he would be had it been worse.” Beth gave him another tight smile and he left.

The doctor was right, things could have been a lot worse. She could have been killed in this car accident. She breathed harder as the tears came flooding back. It was just like her mother all those years ago. Her family had been hit hard with grief and she or Maggie could have….

She cried into her pillow and didn’t even register Daryl come back into the room. It wasn’t until she felt a body come up behind her in bed, and lay his hand on her hip, did she even realise he had come back. She took his hand and hugged it close to her body, feeling the warmth and comfort he brought to her.

She was safe and he was there with her, that’s all she needed right now.

* * *

 

She had fallen asleep once again, after crying every last tear in her body. Daryl hadn’t spoken a word, just allowed her to get all her emotions out. She must have fallen asleep cause when she began to wake, she could hear her family’s voices in the room, talking about something.

She moved around, alerting everyone that she was waking up and their conversation came to an abrupt stop.

“Beth, you wakin up?” Shawn asked, as she could feel a body lean over.

“Getting there,” she joked, trying to open her eyes. They were pretty swollen from the crying she had done before. “How long was I out for?”

“Bout an hour. Your family just got here,” Daryl explained, bringing her some water. She gladly took the cup and sipped from the straw. Her throat still felt raw and scratchy and the water was helping to soothe that pain.

“How you doin, sweetheart?” Hershel asked from his chair beside her. She could feel his hand grip onto hers and she could see how much he had been through the past few days. He looked tired and had bags under his eyes. He probably had barely eaten a thing or slept much so she could only hope that him being with her now would help that.

“I’m okay, daddy. Everything is gonna be alright,” she soothed him, rubbing her thumb across his hand.

“You had us worried there,” his voice trembled. He probably thought back to the night he lost his wife and Beth couldn’t blame him for getting upset.

“I’m a fighter daddy. Just like you,” she smiled, trying to brighten his spirit. He gave a little chuckle.

“You sure are doodlebug,”

“Nurse brought you some food, if you’re feelin’ up to it,” Daryl said, pointing to the covered tray. He pulled the cover off to see some light foods in there but her eyes lit up with the Jell-O.

“Jell-O!” she exclaimed. Shawn and Hershel laughed from their seats.

“Should have guessed. You wanted to live off the stuff when you were younger,” Shawn teased.

Daryl grabbed the cup and spoon and handed it to her. She had to put the spoon in her casted hand but she managed to figure out how to hold the thing pretty quickly. She took her first bite and moaned at the feeling. “Hits the spot.”

They continued talking, Beth getting an update on Maggie and the investigation into the accident. So far, no one had come forward and no truck had been found with damage. It was sounding more and more like the previous accident with Shawn and her father. Hit and run with no one ever being arrested.

They all knew it was such a sore subject and having it happen again was bringing up some real bad memories for all of them. She could see the anger on Shawn’s face, as he tried to remain calm. Something told her, that he was keeping something from her, something he was told to leave alone while she was here in the hospital. Once she was home, she was going to find out what it was about.

There was another knock on the door and a doctor and nurse came in.

“Sorry folks, don’t mean to interrupt,” He said coming into the room. “I’m one of Beth’s doctors and I was needing to exam her.”

“Absolutely, we should get on our way and allow Beth to rest more,” Hershel spoke as he grabbed his cane to help him get up from his chair.

“Will you come tomorrow?” Beth asked, giving her dad a hug and kiss goodbye.

“Nothing can stop me. And maybe Daryl can finally head home and get showered and changed.” Hershel spoke, while giving his fatherly glare at Daryl.

“Yeah, yeah,” Daryl snorted. Shawn came and gave her a hug and kiss and they left the room.

“I apologize again but I wanted to speak with you while I’m still here.” the doctor spoke. I’m Dr. Carson, the obstetrician here. This is my nurse, Mary.”

“Oh, good, I was hoping to see you,” Beth replied shaking his hand.

“Yes, your fiance here has no idea that you were even pregnant so I wasn’t even sure if you knew you were,” he spoke, sitting on his stool and grabbing her chart.

“I wasn't sure. I was on my way home to take a test when the accident happened.” Beth explained.

“So you have some symptoms then?”

“Yes,” she replied. “I was tired and feeling nauseous at certain times of the day. I was also about a month late,” Dr. Carson wrote everything down as she spoke.

“Well when you came in, we gave you an ultrasound and you’re actually further along than that. I would say between ten and eleven weeks,”

“What?” Beth exclaimed.

“We were able to put the fetal heartbeat monitor on you and hear the heartbeat, so we know that baby is doing well,”

“Can we do an ultrasound today?” Beth asked, grabbing on to Daryl’s hand.

“Yes, we wanna make sure everything looks good and I’m sure the both of you wanna see for yourselves,” he looked up and smiled at the couple.

“You didn’t look?” Beth asked, turning to Daryl.

“Wanted to do it with you,” he replied, kissing her forehead. She leaned forward so she could kiss on the lips and whispered she loved him.

“Machine is ready to go Dr. Carson, “ Mary spoke, while she wheeled the machine beside him.

“Thank you Mary. If you’ll just take notes and measurements while I give these two the grand tour of Beth’s uterus.” Beth giggled at his joke.

He squeezed the gel onto the wand and placed it over Beth’s belly. They had removed the fetal monitor when she was asleep because it was gone when she had woken up. Dr. Carson moved it over her belly, looking for the right spot.

“If we stop right around here,” he spoke slowly, “we can see the sac, and then...we see the fetus.” He turned the monitor so that Beth and Daryl could see and Beth gasped as she the tiny little human that was inside of her. Her mouth came up and clasped over her mouth as she held her breath.

“You can see the head,” Dr. Carson pointed to the screen, “their little arms and legs.” He clicked on a few buttons. “And we should be able to hear the heartbeat,” Suddenly, a whooshing sound came across the speaker and Beth could feel the tears prick her eyes.

Her baby was alright.

“That ours Beth,” Daryl whispered in Beth’s ear as she continued to stare at the screen. His voice trembled as he spoke and he was probably feeling just as emotional as she was. She turned towards him and saw the tiniest hint of a tear in his eye.

“A fighter, just like their daddy,” She whispered back. He ducked his head and she could see the blush creep up on his neck. “They’ll be in the ring before we know it,” He looked up at her and gave her a little smile.

“Thank you Beth,” he said softly. “For giving me this,” He kissed her fingers as he held her hand. It warmed Beth’s heart to hear him say that. It was something they had never really discussed, and to know that this was something he wanted, just brought everything to a whole new level.


	26. True Intentions

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't even have words. I'm sorry for taking so long to get these things out. Muse was not in the mood and I finally chained her down and she's getting this done!
> 
> If you're still following me, thank you so much. Your reviews do help me and hopefully, they keep this going. I wanna get this done in 4 more chapters cause I'm weird and need things to end on even, round numbers. So let's send some happy thoughts that I get this guy finished!

With another four days in the hospital for observation, Beth was finally about to get the go-ahead to be taken home. Daryl remained by her side as a constant vigil, apart from the times her family came to visit her. He would go home and shower, change clothes and come right back.

She had been sleeping less and less throughout the day and was eating more reasonably. The baby was doing fine and just this morning, she got the stitches taken out of her face. There was scaring still but her doctor had given her a cream to apply that would help minimize them.

She had already been examined by Dr. Carson that morning and the baby was on a clean bill of health. They were just waiting for Dr. Edwards to come back and reassess her and sign off on her paperwork.

Beth was packing up her bag while Daryl sat on the recliner. She had pushed him in there when the nurse said she could move around more. Apart from her broken arm, she was feeling a hundred times better, (her words, not his) and wanted to do things on her own. He obliged but he already knew at home, he was gonna make her take it easy still.

"I can't wait to sleep in my own bed, and shower properly," Beth explained and she put the last of her things away. Daryl had brought her a change of clothes and other of her necessities a few days ago and she was over the moon. Being able to sit on the hospital bed in her own pajamas was better than these hospital gowns.

"Yeah, this chair wasn't helping me sleep any better," Daryl added.

"But at least you went home and showered. I've had sponge baths which don't make you feel any cleaner,"

"I'll give you a thorough cleaning when we get home," Daryl teased. Beth giggled but soon clasped a hand over her mouth.

"Shit, we should have asked Dr. Carson if that was okay or if we need to abstain for a bit," Daryl hadn't thought of that. Even though Beth said she was feeling better, doesn't mean it was safe yet for the two of them to resume sex.

"We'll ask Dr. Edward. He can always ask Carson if he's not sure," Daryl said.

"Well I do have to call my gyno for a prenatal appointment so maybe I can ask them when we go do that," Beth pondered.

"Whatever you want to do Beth, I'll wait for when you feel up to it," Daryl spoke calmly. Beth looked over at him and smiled.

"That's why I love you, cause you are so understanding." She walked up to him and slid into his lap. His arms automatically curled around her, holding her close. Her head nuzzled into his neck and she kissed his chest.

They cuddled in silence for a few minutes until Beth spoke up.

"I've been meaning to ask you something for the past few days,"

"What?"

"Well, everyone keeps referring to you as my fiance and I just wanted to know if I missed something important or they just assumed."

Daryl froze at her question. He hadn't even thought back to that night and how he was going to propose to her up until now. His main focus was on Beth and the baby and now all that emotion came running back to him.

He wanted to be honest with her but he didn't even have the ring on him anymore. He had given it to Hershel to bring back to the house when the older man went and got Daryl a change of clothes for the hospital. That first night, he was still in his suit when the doctor came out and told them how she was doing.

He could lie but that didn't feel right either. He never lied to Beth, it wasn't in him to do it. They were always honest with each other and he felt compelled to just spill the beans but then what? She must have sensed he was debating internally because she sat up and looked him in the eye concerned.

"When the doctors called your family, your dad said I was your fiance. Thought it would help on getting me in here and them talking to me." He explained. Her furrowed brow relaxed slightly as she understood what he said. She nodded slowly as if she wanted to say something else but closed her mouth and bit her lip. "Was plannin on askin you that night though," he spoke gently, just wanting to take the pressure off his chest.

Her eyes opened wide as saucers, clearly taken back by what he just admitted. She swallowed hard and he could feel her shake slightly, almost in excitement or panic. He felt anxiety creep up in his stomach and wondered if maybe he shouldn't have been planning. He began to worry what was going on inside of her head.

"I'm sorry Beth," he started to say but she cut him off.

"Why are you sorry? I completely ruined your proposal because of this," she motioned towards the hospital room.

"No Beth, you didn't ruin anythin'. This whole thing was an accident and it made me realize that I can't be without you," The words spilled out of Daryl's mouth. "I want to marry you and be a family and now we got the little one on the way so it just makes everything even better. If I had the ring on me, I would have given it to you the moment you woke up," Beth covered Daryl's mouth with her hand and giggled through her smile. He could see small tears in her eyes and thought maybe he overdid it.

"Yes, Daryl Dixon. You can give me the ring when we get home and we're gonna get married and have this baby and live happily ever after," she laughed with pure excitement. He sighed happily, knowing that this was probably the worst proposal ever but that was them, completely unconventional.

He grasped her head between his hands and kissed her gently, sealing their promise with a kiss. When he pulled away they both had grins on their faces and Beth continued to giggle in happiness.

"You wanna get married right away?" he asked, not truly believing what she said.

"As soon as this cast is off and my face is healed up, we're gettin' married," she replied.

"Already getting bossy," he chuckled. She poked her finger into his chest.

"Get used to it buddy. You got a pregnant hormonal wife now." He kissed her soundly again.

He wouldn't have it any other way.

* * *

 

Beth was laying on the couch, reading a pregnancy book, all wrapped up in her blankets. She had spent the first day home in their bed, recovering but since then, she wanted to be down here where she could get the sunlight from their huge back windows.

Daryl couldn't help but stare at her from his armchair and bask in the glow that surrounded her. She was happy and safe, that was all that Daryl could ask for.

And she was going to be his wife.

_The minute they stepped into the house, she immediately looked at him with pleading eyes and he knew exactly what she wanted. He grabbed her hand and brought her to the bedroom, where his stuff was laying on their bed. He had kept the ring in his jacket pocket and it still remained there when he grabbed it off the bed._

_He slowly pulled the box out, making Beth wait in anticipation. He was about to get down on one knee when Beth grabbed onto his arm._

_"No, don't do that," she laughed. " We already did that part," He looked at her confused._

_"When did I ask you to marry me?"_

_"When you had your word vomit moment," she replied, putting her left hand out. He raised an eyebrow at her. "It was there, in the underlying meaning of what you were actually saying." He continued to look at her confused._

_"Please!" she pleaded with him like a five-year-old would. He chuckled and opened the box to reveal her diamond engagement ring. It was stunning, or at least he thought so. Her eyes were wide and she looked shocked so he assumed it was._

_He pulled the ring out and slid it up the correct finger. Beth wrapped her arms around Daryl's torso and hugged him as tight as she could. He hugged her back, still being cautious of her bruised ribs._

_"Let's hope I don't forget us gettin' married." he joked which caused Beth to punch him in the back._

They broke the news to her family last night when they all came over to visit and they also told them that Beth was expecting. It was really good news and it kept everyone in high spirits, even though there was still the dark cloud that hung over them.

About out who caused the accident.

The person who hit them had done it on purpose. Daryl was sure about that. Any common decent person would have stopped and made sure that they were alright. If the person was drunk, they would have knocked out down the road somewhere, or probably at the scene of the accident.

Even if they didn't want to get caught, there would have been major damage to the truck, that no one could hide if they tried. Someone would see it and start asking questions. This story made national headlines with press from around the country covering it. No one could hide a banged up truck that well.

No, this person made sure to cover their tracks and hide the vehicle. Somewhere where they wouldn't be found. They had to have followed his vehicle after the girls left and made sure to hit them.

He just wondered who the intended target really was.

It wouldn't be surprising if it was Daryl. He didn't have a lot of enemies but he had heard of people losing a lot of money from betting matches and taking it out on the fighter. It was scary to think that someone would go to great lengths to hurt another but people did stupid things when it came down to money.

Neither Maggie or Beth had enemies, that he was aware of. They were both sweet girls and everyone loved them in their little town. Their family was quite popular and always stood behind the Greene clan. It would be shocking to know someone held a grudge against either one of them.

No, this was something else. It was hard to pinpoint but he felt deep down inside, that something was amiss here. Someone wasn't fighting fair and it caused something terrible to happen to his family.

His family.

It was such a strange feeling to know that he had his own family now. And not just with Shawn, Hershel, Abe, and Eugene. He was going to have an actual family with Beth. A baby that was all theirs.

He was shocked when he first found out, that was a given. But he wasn't scared to be a father, it was something he had thought about more recently with wanting to marry Beth. He was scared that he found out about something that could have been lost in the accident. He prayed that things were alright and when the doctor confirmed to him that Beth was still pregnant and the baby was doing alright, he was overjoyed with the prospect.

It was funny that he was the one to tell Beth, and she became a mama bear once she did find out. Knowing that the baby was alright and even seeing their image on the ultrasound just made it all more real to them both. After the doctors and nurses left them alone for the night, Daryl had crawled back into bed with her and they talked about their future.

They were both excited and Daryl admitted he never thought he would have the chance to be a father but he was gonna be there for her one hundred percent. She smiled and kissed him, telling him that there was no one else she would rather do this with and that the two of them would be great parents together.

Beth wasn't going to be going back to work for a little while but Daryl knew he needed to get back to the gym. Eugene was already on his ass about not getting the proper nutrition and losing muscle but Daryl had a good reason. His home time was almost up and he needed to get his head back in the game.

Zach would want to fight sooner or later and Daryl needed to be ready for it. He wasn't letting Zach get the best of him this time, he planned on winning.


	27. A Little Faith

Shawn watched over Daryl's training and sighed. He didn't have a lot of time to prepare for his next match at UFC 342, so Abraham was pushing him hard during his training. Shawn wasn't too worried, especially since Daryl was already in top form, but the time he spent in the hospital with Beth had put him behind slightly.

His weight was back on track thanks to Eugene and he was training ten hours a day, with Sundays off but Shawn felt like something was still off with him. He couldn't put his finger on it but he knew something was still gnawing at Daryl, deep inside.

Maggie had returned to work this week and was back at her general like attitude. She ran a tight ship and even with her time off, the gym managed to still run like clockwork. Her managers knew how things worked and were happy to help out when she got hurt. Shawn was proud to have a team that respected and cared for his family and would do anything to help them.

He was also happy that Beth was okay and that his future niece and nephew were doing alright as well. It was a rough time for him, all of them really, but he saw how much Daryl was affected by this accident and what could have happened to his girl and child. It was something that Shawn couldn't even fathom if he was in Daryl's shoes and frankly, he really never wanted to find out what that felt like.

Beth was here at the gym today, wanting to file all the paperwork for Daryl's match next week. Merle had gone ahead and booked their flights and hotels, which surprised everyone that he did it right. He really stepped up for Daryl and Beth and they couldn't thank him enough.

Shawn could see that Daryl was getting tired, his body moving slower than it had been in recent weeks. Rather than let Abraham give him a piece of his mind, Shawn decided to intervene and give the man a break and maybe have a talk with him. There were some things on his mind that he wanted to get out and maybe even try and talk to Daryl about what was bothering him.

"Abe, let's give him a break. Need a few words with him," Shawn yelled from the balcony. Abe nodded and threw a towel at Daryl. Daryl sat on his stool and took a few swigs of water before getting up and grabbing his zip-up sweater.

Shawn went into his office, knowing that Daryl would follow him up there eventually and grabbed two drinks of water from his cooler. Once Daryl appeared in the doorway, Shawn sat in his seat and asked him to close the door behind him.

"Look like you needed a break," Shawn chuckled, handing him the cold water. Daryl smirked and sat across from him.

"Just need to get back into the swing of things before next week," he replied.

"You'll be fine. Once you get your head back in the ring, you'll be fighting better than ever." Daryl's head shot up.

"My mind is in the ring," he started to explain but Shawn cut him off.

"No it's not and I wasn't expecting it to be after what happened." Daryl hung his head, letting his hair drop in front of his eyes. "I know it's not about Beth or the baby cause you would be glued to her if it was. So what it is, man?"

Daryl remained quiet and took some deep breaths. Shawn could tell that it was something deep bothering him but he was reluctant to talk about it. It wasn't like Daryl to open up feelings to anyone but Beth, and even then, Shawn was sure it wasn't deep meaningful thoughts about his past life. Daryl kept things bottled up and it worked well for his fighting career. But this was something else, something he couldn't seem to move past.

"If it's about who caused the accident, I think about it every single moment of the day," Shawn admitted. Daryl looked up in shock, and Shawn knew that he hit the nail on the head. "It sucks not having any type of lead and the police running out of options."

"It ain't right for someone to get away with this," Daryl added.

"It wasn't right that my mother's death went without justice either. Can't make things happen when there isn't any proof."

"That's what bothers me the most. This happened twice to your family and no one knows who caused it? You don't think there's some coincidence in this?" Daryl said angrily.

"I think a lot of things but one person keeps coming to mind and I have no way to prove it was them."

"Zach, right?" Daryl questioned. Silence fell between them as he said the one thing they were both thinking.

"That boy is gonna slip up and when he does, you and I will beat him within an inch of his life," Shawn spoke with conviction, knowing that they would. Daryl nodded.

There was a knock on the door and Shawn called for them to come in. Beth poked her head in and she looked upset and frightened. Both men stood up when they saw her face and assumed the worst.

"It's Zach." she replied.

* * *

 

"How is this even possible?" Shawn yelled from the boardroom. Everyone had come in here for an emergency meeting and were shocked to hear the announcement from Beth.

"He made the cutoff time, he can do whatever he wants," Beth explained. Shawn was pacing the room, anger, and frustration pouring out of every pore in his body.

"So he's just allowed to change a match with a week to go?" Maggie asked. Beth nodded. "How is that fair."

"Zach's next match had to be against Daryl, those are the stipulations. He apparently is healed and ready to go so he asked them to change Daryl's match to the championship match." Beth answered.

"Daryl isn't ready to face Zach," Abraham interjected.

"I can beat that mutherfucker," Daryl exclaimed rudely.

"Not after what I saw today," Abraham retorted. Both men glared at one another.

"Can we not ask for an extension. Next month or somethin?" Hershel asked.

"No, I already filed his paperwork. An extension would have to be for medical issues and Daryl doesn't have any."

"Fucker did this on purpose!" Shawn yelled out, causing everyone to look at him. "He knew that Daryl was sidetracked by Beth's accident. He knew that he wouldn't be up to par for a championship match and he took advantage of that."

"That's Zach for you," Maggie replied. "He would take any opportunity he could if it meant he kept his damn title."

"So what's the plan boss? Daryl's gotta fight no matter what," Merle quipped from his little corner spot of the table. Everyone turned towards Shawn, waiting for the plan. Too bad he had nothing. He was so blindsided by this that he had no idea how to move forward.

"UFC just posted the change, the news outlets are going nuts," Beth said, pointing at her phone. " There's gonna be major media in Vegas so we're probably going to lose a day of training."

"Okay, I need everyone to go back to their business, so I can figure this out," Shawn said calmly. They could tell he was stressed and let him be. They all filed out, Daryl grabbing Beth's hand; checking on her no doubt.

One person did remain and that was his father.

"I need to make a game plan dad," he said defeated. His shoulders slumped as he sat in the chair.

"I think you need to stop and listen, son," Hershel spoke. It was that fatherly voice he used when he was about to give a talkin to his children. He learned long ago, you don't interrupt that voice. Shawn nodded and sat back, ready to get a tongue lashing.

"You just made your best fighter lose total confidence in himself with your tirade." Shawn gasped and wanted to explain himself but Hershel put his hand up. "Daryl is ready to fight Zach. He has more determination and integrity than he did before and now you have him questioning himself."

"Did you see him fighting today? His mind wasn't in the ring," Shawn finally spoke up.

"He has a family to think about now, of course, his mind isn't in the ring entirely. But when that boy is in a match, nothing else matters to him but that fight, and you know that." Shawn knew his father was right. Daryl was able to block out everything around him and just give it his all when the time came. It was quite an amazing thing to witness.

"Beth believes he can do it, I believe he can do it. So why can't you?" Hershel questioned. Shawn didn't have an answer for him.

"I dunno."

"You were gonna let him face Dwight still, so why is Zach different?" Hershel asked.

"I just wanna see him win," Shawn admitted.

"He can win. Last time he didn't know what Zach was capable of. And we all know Zach likes to play mind games. But Daryl knows how to fight. And that's what he needs to win."

"Yeah, this whole thing just blindsided me," Shawn spoke. "And not just the match; the whole accident with Maggie and Beth. We shouldn't have to deal with this again."

"I knew this would bring up a lot of things with your mother and what happened to us. I don't blame you. That phone call was one of the worst things to ever happen in my life."

"How do you get through it?"

"By knowing that everything happens for a reason," he said with a smirk. "And karma's a bitch."

Shawn laughed at his father's antics but saw what he was saying. It was time to move on and focus on the next match. After that, Daryl would hopefully be the new champion and that would open doors for all of them in so many ways.

It was sad to think that because of his own accident, he lost his mother and his career. But had it not happened, he would have never found Daryl, who would have never met Beth and she wouldn't be this happy. Heaven forbids she was still with Zach.

Hershel was generally always correct but this was one of those times where his words rang deep within. Things happen the way they are supposed to happen. And Daryl facing Zach next week was always supposed to happen.

* * *

 

"First, I want to apologize to everyone for before." Shawn spoke calmly. "I was angry and frustrated and really didn't know how to process what was going on. We've all had a rough couple weeks, and we've been through a lot emotionally and physically for some of us."

"I jumped the gun thinking that this match was going to be ruined but in reality, I should have known that nothing has changed much than before." Shawn turned to Daryl.

"I never lost faith in you, Daryl, I know you are a champion and you are gonna beat Zach and show the world that you deserve this title. The truth is, I lost faith in myself because I'm still coming to terms with everything that's happened. So I'm sorry to Daryl and everyone else here for letting my emotions get in the way."

"The plan has not changed. Daryl will continue his training with Abraham, Hershel and myself. We know Zach is looking for weaknesses but we don't have any. We are family and we are here to support one another in any way possible. We have each other and that's more than any other fighter has out there." Shawn took a deep breath.

"I want us all there, so make whatever plans we need to. Because we're going to Vegas, and we're going to win!" Shawn shouted the end. Everyone stood up from their chair and cheered along with him.

There was a lot of uncertainty going forward and Shawn realized, he had to push it all to the back burner for now. Daryl had a match to win and a championship belt to receive!

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading and please review


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